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Suspended Pa. EMS chief awaits hearing for sexual assault

Police charged Frank Tedesco Jr., 29, of Cranberry with rape of an unconscious victim at a party

By Rick Wills
Pittsburgh Tribune Review

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The head of the Cranberry Township Emergency Medical Services, charged with sexually assaulting an unconscious man, remains suspended from his job.

Evans City police charged Frank Tedesco Jr., 29, of Cranberry with rape of an unconscious victim, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault and three counts of furnishing alcohol to minors, according to documents filed with District Judge Wayne Seibel.

The incident involved a 19-year-old and happened late Saturday at a party in Evans City, according to a court affidavit.

Tedesco was arraigned Wednesday and released on $25,000 bond. A condition of release was that Tedesco have no contact with the victim.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday before Seibel.

Butler attorney Michael Zunder, who is listed as representing Tedesco in court records, could not be reached for comment.

Tedesco was named director of Cranberry’s EMS service last year, the result of a national search. He will remain suspended indefinitely, said Cranberry Manager Jerry Andree. Ted Fessided was named acting director.

“It is a very unfortunate set of circumstances,” Andree said. “He is entitled to due process. This does not reflect on Cranberry EMS, which is a fine organization.”

Tedesco started as a junior volunteer firefighter in Ross when he was 17 and worked his way up to become an emergency medical technician and, later, a paramedic.

He is a flight paramedic with STAT MedEvac and an EMS instructor at Butler County Community College.

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