PHILADELPHIA — Representatives for Bill Cosby have quietly contacted prominent Philadelphia-area criminal defense lawyers to gauge their willingness to defend him, sources say – a step that signals the comedian’s expectation he could soon face charges in Pennsylvania stemming from a decade-old sexual assault allegation.

At the same time, a lawyer for the accuser in that case – former Temple University employee Andrea Constand – said Tuesday that her client would be a willing participant in any effort to revive the investigation that was first shuttered 10 years ago.

– From news service reports