Trial in child molestation case to begin in mid-August

A trial date has been set for the Youngtown man accused of sexually molesting three young girls.

Jon Solnicka, 40, is facing three felony child molestation charges after girls age 7, 10, and 11 reported they were molested at his home beginning in March 2007. Solnicka was arrested and detained two months later.

Solnicka's trial is to begin Aug. 18 in the courtroom of Judge Larry Grant in the Maricopa County Superior Court Building in Phoenix. The trial is expected to last about two weeks.

Solnicka is a probation absconder from Douglas County, Ore., where he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the rape of a 10 year-old girl in 1989. He was paroled in 1994. In 2001 he reportedly violated the terms of his probation when he left the state.

He and his wife and two children had been living in Youngtown since 2000.

Solnicka waived a plea agreement, which would have given him 20 to 24 years on one count of child molestation and two counts of lifetime probation.

Instead, he could face up to 105 years in prison if convicted of the crimes.

Regardless of the outcome, Solnicka will be extradited to Oregon to finish his original sentence there, according to Youngtown police detective Ed Siemen.

Joy Slagowski may be reached at 623-876-2514 or jslagowski@yourwestvalley.com.