DA: 2 serial child rapists arrested this week
Reported By: Erin Calandra
Written By: Marc Stempka
HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Two Huntingdon County men have been arrested on child rape and sexual assault charges in the just two days, and county officials said the cases, although not related, are disturbing and will hopefully empower victims of sexual abuse to come forward and report crimes.
Huntingdon County District Attorney David Smith's office will be prosecuting the cases against 29-year-old Andrew Patterson, of Mill Creek, and 45-year-old Darcy Fleck, of Huntingdon.
Fleck is facing more than 5,000 counts of child sexual abuse, including rape and sexual assault, for allegedly abusing two girls over several years.
Patterson is accused of raping and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy in a barn in Brady Township in 2012.
In the Fleck case it wasn't until the alleged victims were able to be away from the suspect that they were able to come forward, Smith said.
Fleck allegedly raped two girls on two separate occasions, police said. One case dated back to 2006, the other dated between 2011 and 2014.
"This was over a two or three year period of time, and according to the information we received from the victims, it was almost on a daily basis they were being assaulted," Smith said.
Both victims were known to the Fleck, according to investigators. He was arrested Monday and was denied bail. He's being held in the Huntingdon County Prison.
In the Patterson case, Smith said it is a case of victim's being groomed before they were allegedly assaulted.
Patterson has an extensive record involving child sex abuse charges dating back to 2007. According to court documents, he was charged with possession of child pornography, prostitution of a minor, and other charges.
Those charges were later dropped when Patterson agreed to plea Nolo Contendre to a charge of corruption of minors and was sentenced to three years of probation, according to court documents.
In 2013, Patterson was arrested on similar child porn and related charges dating back to 2011. Again, a plea deal was struck.
"Very similar conduct occurred," Smith said. "He was scheduled for a non-jury trial, and when the day of the non-jury trial, we entered into a plea."
In that case, Patterson is scheduled to be sentenced in September after pleading Nolo Contendre to charges of unlawful contact with a minor and corruptions of minors, according to court documents.
But this week, Patterson was arrested again, accused of assaulting the boy in the barn. Police said Patterson locked the boy in the barn before committing the alleged crimes.
"I firmly believe with his recent conviction he will do jail time," Smith said. "With his most recent case, if we are successful with the prosecution, he will serve a very lengthy period of time."
Smith said there may be more victim's relative to the Patterson case.
He is hoping that with the media attention surrounding both cases will encourage other possible victims to come forward and talk to police.
"I have the utmost respect for victims who come forward and are willing to come to court and say, 'This is what happened to me,'" Smith said.
Patterson was being held in the Huntingdon County Prison on $100,000.
Both men are scheduled for preliminary hearings on their cases in August.