In a Somerset County courtroom Tuesday, a preliminary hearing for a former Somerset High School employee accused of sexual assault was postponed.

Shawn Livengood, 45, is accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl and a 17-year-old girl on multiple occasions over the course of a year, starting in 2016.

Investigators said Livengood worked as a custodian at the high school and none of the alleged assaults happened on school property.

Investigators said Livengood would watch T.V. at night with the victims and give them alcohol. The victims told police he would encourage them to drink so much they wouldn’t remember what happened. That’s when Livengood allegedly sexually assaulted them. Police said he also raped the 16-year-old victim.

Livengood was arrested earlier this month. He was denied a public defender after he posted bail and was released from jail a few days later.

In court Tuesday, Livengood said he didn’t know he would not be given an attorney and that he cannot afford to pay for one.

“I just don’t have any money, I just went through a divorce,” Livengood told Judge Kenneth Johnson.

Livengood can file an appeal in order to get a public defender. Prosecutors said a judge will make that decision sometime in the next two weeks.

“Unfortunately, we were ready to go. We had Trooper Terek here. And we were ready to proceed. It makes it a little messy for the prosecution in a serious case like this. It’s just the nature of the beast and it will progress through the system,” said Lisa Lazzari-Strasiser, the Somerset County District Attorney.

Livengood is out of jail. He was ordered to stay away from the victims and their families. His preliminary hearing will be rescheduled for the end of November.