CHICORA — A registered sex offender faces trial on charges he sexually assaulted a 4-year-old girl in East Butler nearly two years ago.

But the alleged victim, now 6, at a preliminary hearing Thursday could not positively identify Terence Paul Andres, 34, of Butler as the man she said assaulted her in the summer of 2005.

District Judge Lewis Stoughton, nevertheless, ordered Andres held for court on charges, ruling the girl's testimony sufficiently linked Andres to the alleged crime.

Andres is charged with two counts each of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, child endangerment, as well as corruption of minors.

State police May 9 arrested Andres. He was released from the Butler County Prison on May 18 after posting $100,000 bail.

The defendant is already a sexual offender, according to the state police Megan's Law Web site. He was convicted in Virginia in 1997 of a charge of indecent liberties with a child by a custodian.

The girl testified Tuesday that Andres assaulted her more than once at a Grant Avenue home; but she was unable to say specifically what month or year the assaults occurred

.The child in April first told her mother what happened while they were temporarily living out of state.The Butler Eagle is not identifying the girl due to the nature of the charges. The Eagle also is not identifying the state where she has been living to further protect her identity.Butler County Assistant District Attorney Jerry Cassady provided the girl with anatomically-correct drawings to help the girl describe the nature of the assaults."I was screaming bloody murder because it hurt,"she said of one of the assaults.The child, during testimony, referred to the defendant by her nickname for him."Is the person who touched you here today?"defense attorney Stephen Misko asked the girl on cross-examination."No,"she said, even as Andres was seated at a table next to Misko.Cassady questioned the girl's mother if the defendant's appearance in court had changed from what it was two years ago, possibly explaining why the girl could not identify Andres."He's a little more dressed up than normal,"she said. "He's always changed his hair; he'd grow it out or shave it. He had a goatee back then."Andres appeared in court with short-cropped hair and with a thin goatee.The mother also said that the defendant was the only person for which her daughter used her nickname.The child's mother, questioned by defense attorney Stephen Misko, said she saw no unusual behavior from her daughter immediately following the alleged assaults.She also never noticed any blood, swelling or other injury that would suggest her daughter was ever sexually assaulted.