Groom Charged With Bucks Sex-Assault Faces Accuser In Court

NORTHAMPTON, PA — The groom accused of sexually assaulting a teen waitress and fighting police at his own wedding reception in Northampton briefly faced his accuser in court on Thursday.

Matthew Aimers, 31, of Willingboro, N.J., is charged with a list of crimes ranging from indecent assault to disorderly conduct to harassment.

The November incident happened at the Northampton Valley Country Club in Richboro.

On Thursday, District Judge William J. Benz held over the case for trial in Common Pleas Court on all charges. He did so after the 18-year-old alleged victim in the case was allowed to testify in a courtroom cleared of all spectators.

Bucks County District Attorney's office prosecutors had requested the unusual move. In a written statement, Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub called his assistant prosecutor's request to empty the courtroom "an error of judgement" but said it was done with the intention of protecting the victim.

The Inquirer reports that Aimers walked into district court on Thursday hand-in-hand with his wife. His lawyer, Louis Busico, told the paper that his bride "150 percent supports him" and that Aimers "denies and rejects" the charges against him.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, Northampton Police officers were alerted to a report that a juvenile waitress had been assaulted on Nov. 24 at the Northampton Valley Country Club.

The female employee told police that during the wedding reception Aimers told her they should go outside and make out. "We can do whatever you want," Aimers said, according to the affidavit.

She declined. But later, when she was checking a women's restroom for supplies, Aimers followed her inside and grabbed her arm, pulled her into a stall and closed the door, the affidavit claims.

He is then accused of kissing and fondling the girl, trying to unbutton her pants and exposing himself and rubbing against her. According to the affidavit, she said he asked "Can you kiss me like you mean it?" and offered her $100.

The teen told police she was eventually able to push her way past Aimers and make her way out of the restroom.

The girl reported the assault to police the next day. But, while the reception was still going on, officers were called to a report of a fight at the country club.

When officers arrived, the groom was spotted "actively pushing and punching people."

According to the affidavit, he ignored police orders to stop and, instead, got onto a shuttle bus outside the country club. An officer with a taser followed him onto the bus, where Aimers refused to follow his orders, challenged him to fight and shouted obscene insults at him, the affidavit said.

He eventually got off of the bus, where he again was aggressive with officers and struggled with them before being placed into custody, the affidavit states.

According to police, Aimers had been in a separate fight before they arrived. They say he punched a country club employee who had tried to calm him down after he improperly brought alcohol outside of the building. The two men ended up on the ground, police say.

Aimers is scheduled to be officially arraigned in the case next month in Bucks County court.