UNCLE DON VITO TO FACE FONDLING CHARGES

MTV personality Vincent Margera, known as "Uncle Don Vito" on the show Viva La Bam, was ordered to stand trial Thursday on charges of fondling three teenage girls at the Colorado Mills mall during a promotional tour last summer.

Margera is charged with three counts of sexual assault for allegedly fondling and groping the girls while he was signing autographs and having his photo taken with fans at the mall.

The alleged victims were ages 13 to 15.

Margera initially faced charges involving two girls, but prosecutors added charges involving two more girls at a preliminary hearing in Jefferson County Court.

Jefferson County Judge Tina Olsen dismissed a charge involving one alleged victim, who had repeatedly denied in interviews with police that Margera had touched her breast.

Police were called to the mall Aug. 18 after mall security reported that a girl had been sexually assaulted.

Two female police officers testified that Margera used profanity and called them names during their contact with him.

Lakewood police Agent Melissa Mayne said Margera also made lewd comments to her. She said she smelled alcohol on Margera’s breath and that he resisted arrest.

The first victim said she was having her photo taken with Margera when he made a motion of grabbing her breast, felt her buttocks and grabbed her thigh, said Lakewood Detective Michelle Stone-Principato.

A second girl said Margera grabbed her breast.

The third girl said she was getting her photo taken with Margera and several other friends when Margera put a sticker on her breast and another on her thigh, Stone-Principato said. The girl said he told her to calm down when she grabbed his arm when he tried to grope her breast a second time.

Charges involving the three girls were bound over for trial.

Prosecutors claimed Margera also grabbed a fourth girl’s breast, but she denied it when questioned by police, Stone-Principato said.

Margera is due back in court for arraignment March 5.

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