A 38-year-old York County man is behind bars after a 10-year-old girl told police he repeatedly raped her, allegedly timing the assaults to occur every time her mother was admitted to the hospital for health issues. Russell Stabley IV of Delta now faces charges of rape of a child and corruption of minors, among other offenses tied to the alleged abuse.
According to local21news.com, charging documents filed by the Lewistown Borough Police Department accuse Stabley of forcing the child to have sexual intercourse at least six times. The child reportedly told police that Stabley sexually assaulted her every time her mother was in the hospital, and investigators said the alleged assaults occurred while the mother was away seeking treatment for her own health issues.
Police spoke with Stabley while he was held at the Mifflin County Correctional Facility on February 6, and he reportedly called the child a liar during that interview. Officers said no pertinent information was gleaned from the exchange. Stabley remains held at Mifflin County Prison, according to online court records cited in the outlet’s report.
Charges Carry Steep Mandatory Minimums
Under Pennsylvania law, a conviction for rape of a child under age 13 carries a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 10 years in prison, with maximum penalties reaching up to 40 years and $25,000 in fines, per Pennsylvania’s consolidated statutes. A conviction would also trigger Tier III classification under the state’s Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act, the most severe tier, which mandates quarterly in-person reporting and lifetime registration, according to Goldstein Mehta LLC…