« Anchorage man sentenced for possessing child pornography | Main | Here, sex offenders always in plain sight »
March 24, 2005
Local Man Charged In Rape Of 7-Year-Old
Thomas C. Abbott Jr. charged for incidents involving young girl. Pennsylvania
A McConnellsburg man faces a series of charges after he sexually assaulted and raped a young girl over a period of almost two years.
Thirty-four-year-old Thomas C. Abbott Jr. of 221 Lincoln Way West is currently lodged in the Adams County Prison in lieu of $200,000 bail as he awaits a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled for March 24.
Abbott was picked up by Pennsylvania State Police from the McConnellsburg barracks on Wednesday, March 16, on an arrest warrant. He was charged and arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Wendy Mellott on two counts each of rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse; three counts of attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse; six counts of sexual abuse of children; and one count each of attempted aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors, endangering the welfare of children, indecent exposure, indecent assault, terroristic threats and criminal use of communication facility.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by investigating officer Trooper David Reese, state police were first alerted of the allegations against Abbott on February 26 by a clinical social worker at Children’s Hospital in Norfolk, Va. The social worker indicated a 7-year-old McConnellsburg girl was brought to the hospital for treatment by her mother, who inadvertently discovered nine CD-ROMs owned by Abbott. The CDs contained various pornographic images as well as five to six pictures of her partially clothed daughter.
In speaking with a detective from Norfolk, Va., police department, the mother stated Abbott had “taken the nude pictures of her daughter and and instructed her to smile so that if other people saw them, they would know she was happy participating.”
The photographs were taken at Abbott’s former residence listed as 665 Lincoln Way East, Apt. A, McConnellsburg, and at his current address of 221 Lincoln Way West, McConnellsburg. It is believed Abbott posted the pictures on the Internet and that some were distributed to his friends.
In addition to seizing the nine CD-ROMs, state police also searched Abbott’s home, where they took three computers, software, a Web camera and a Vivicam digital camera. Child pornography was also discovered at the residence.
The girl, who was 6 years old when the incidents began, also divulged that between August 1, 2003, and February 24, 2005, Abbott touched her inappropriately and attempted to have sex with her between three to five times. When the girl tried to tell Abbott he was hurting her, he “told her that he would beat her butt if she was not quiet.”
The McConnellsburg girl added that Abbott never touched or took pictures of anyone else, including her brother. She concluded “no one knew Abbott was touching her and she could not stop him because he kept doing it.”
Posted by Nealus at March 24, 2005 09:29 PM
