A man accused of having traded a tattoo for sex with an underage girl and sexually assaulting more than a dozen children has asked that a judge rather than a jury decide his fate.

Walter Meyerle of Falls, Bucks Co., requested the stipulated waiver trial Monday in Bucks County Court, The Doylestown Intelligencer reported.

The decision, said defense attorneys Michael Goodwin and Craig Penglase, doesn't mean their client is acknowledging anything but allows a judge to make the call on complicated legal issues involved.

Under the process, a judge reviews the evidence and reaches a verdict. With less testimony, alleged victims might not have to take the stand.

Meyerle, 35, was charged last year with sexual assaults on 14 children and two adults over a 13-year span.