Philipsburg man sentenced for up to a decade in prison for child rape

A Philipsburg man was sentenced Thursday in Centre County Court to five to 10 years in prison for rape of a child on Thursday.

David M. Heck, 18, pleaded guilty to one count of rape of a child, a first degree felony.

In October, he was originally charged with four additional counts including two felony counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person who has a mental disability, felony corruption of minors and misdemeanor indecent assault of someone less than 13 years old.

Witnesses told police that they saw Heck rape the child outdoors and heard him threaten the child not to tell anyone. The child was “visibly upset and crying,” according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Heck was unable to post bail and was incarcerated at the Centre County Correctional Facility since his arrest in October. He will be transferred to a state prison to serve out the rest of his sentence.

President Judge Jonathan Grine asked Heck if there was anything he would like to say before his sentencing.

“Wish me luck,” Heck said.

The judge did not.