A Lehigh County 911 dispatcher is facing rape and related charges after investigators say DNA testing linked him to the sexual assault of a young girl inside a Walnutport home on the night of March 22 into March 23, 2025. Austin Michael Kern faces charges including rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault of a child, corruption of minors and simple assault after police said he assaulted the girl while she was trying to sleep.
DNA testing linked Kern to the crime, according to the criminal complaint cited by NBC10 Philadelphia. Investigators said DNA testing played a key role in the case against Kern, who worked as a Lehigh County 911 dispatcher according to the outlet. Kern was 24 years old at the time of the alleged assault, per the same report — though wfmz.com identifies him as 26 in its own account of the charges.
What Investigators Say Happened
According to court documents, Kern woke the girl while holding a sharp metal object against her neck. Investigators said he then moved her from a recliner to a sofa before sexually assaulting her. The girl was staying at her grandmother's home in Lehigh Township, NBC10 Philadelphia's reporting states, though wfmz.com places the alleged assault itself at a home on the 4600 block of Timberline Road in Walnutport, occurring the night of March 22 into March 23.
The girl's age is described differently across the available reporting — one account identifies her as 11, while the other describes her as 12 — and that discrepancy has not been independently resolved. After being picked up from the home, the girl told her mother what happened, and she was taken to St. Luke's Hospital for a sexual assault evaluation. Investigators collected evidence from the home as part of the inquiry, and the wfmz.com account states the incident was reported to police shortly after 7:30 p.m. on March 23.
Charges and Upcoming Court Dates
Kern was arraigned Wednesday at 2:15 p.m., according to the NBC10 Philadelphia report, and he is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 6 at 11 a.m. in Allentown. Online court documents listed no attorney who could speak on his behalf, the outlet reported. No further detail on the case's current disposition or any plea has been reported.
The case echoes other recent Pennsylvania arrests involving first responders and sexual assault investigations involving children. A Chester County firefighter and 911 dispatcher was separately accused of sexually abusing a boy, secretly recording children, and buying and distributing child sexual-abuse material, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. In Bucks County, police arrested 27-year-old Valeed Anjum in connection with a child sexual assault investigation, CBS Philadelphia reported.
Resources for Survivors
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center provides resources for victims of sexual assault. The National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline can be reached at 800-656-4673.
