Accounts differ on when the alleged assault involving a Five Below employee in Hilltown Township took place: one report says it happened in September, while another says the woman reported an assault from February. Edward Eisenhard, 37, of Hellertown, was arrested Thursday, October 1, as he headed to work, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. He faces multiple felony and misdemeanor counts and is being held on $200,000 bail.
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, Eisenhard is charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion and aggravated indecent assault without consent, among other counts. NBC10 reports that the alleged incident occurred on September 27, 2026, inside the Five Below on Route 113 in the Souderton section of Hilltown Township. The employee told police she was working in the store around 7:10 p.m. when Eisenhard called her to help clean the back stockroom.
In NBC10’s account, investigators said Eisenhard made lewd comments toward the woman before restraining and sexually assaulting her in the stockroom. The employee also told police that later that evening he pushed her into a table in the breakroom; she managed to slide out from between the table and him, leave the room and call her partner.
Conflicting Accounts of When the Alleged Assault Took Place
PhillyBurbs reports that Hilltown police opened their investigation on September 27, but that the woman reported an assault that occurred in February. That differs from NBC10’s account of a September 27 incident; the discrepancy remains unresolved. PhillyBurbs also reports that the woman alleged Eisenhard made sexually explicit comments, touched her buttock, pinned her against a wall, and took her phones and work radio. The outlet says the alleged assault stopped after another coworker called Eisenhard on the store radio.
Admission Captured on Intercepted Call
NBC10 reports that the Bucks County District Attorney's Office intercepted a call between the woman and Eisenhard the day after the alleged incident. Investigators said he admitted sexually assaulting her and apologized. In the station’s account, he responded to her questions by saying, “No, and that is why I am apologizing for it,” and promised he would not do anything to her ever again.
Eisenhard was arraigned on October 1 before District Judge Regina Armitage on three felony and two misdemeanor counts of assault-related offenses, PhillyBurbs reports. He is being held at the Bucks County Jail on $200,000 bail. As of October 2, the outlet reported, no legal representation for Eisenhard was listed on the public court docket.
Five Below is cooperating with the investigation, police confirmed, as reported by NBC10 Philadelphia, though the company has not responded to the station's request for comment. Readers can search individual Pennsylvania court case information for free through the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania's web portal, though that information should not be used in place of a criminal history record.
What federal data can—and can’t—show
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received 27,291 charges alleging sexual harassment nationwide between fiscal years 2018 and 2021. That count is not a measure of all incidents and does not provide a retail- or Pennsylvania-specific estimate. The EEOC cautions that charge data do not capture the full picture, citing a study that found 90% of people who say they experienced harassment never take formal action, such as filing a charge or complaint.
Anyone affected by sexual assault can reach the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, as noted by NBC10 Philadelphia.
