Centre County man charged with rape, accused of abusing teen for more than 2 years
A Centre County man was charged Wednesday with rape and other sexually violent crimes after a teenager told investigators — and images and videos showed — she was sexually assaulted.
Victor N. Acevedo-Gerena, 36, of Ferguson Township, was accused of raping the child starting in September 2021, a township police detective wrote in an affidavit of probable cause. The allegations were reported to police earlier this month.
The 11-page charging document detailed allegations rape, oral sex, digital penetration and groping. Acevedo-Gerena was also accused of sending sexually explicit videos of himself to the girl.
The attacks, police wrote, were carried out with threats and promises of money. The girl told investigators he recorded and took photographs of the attacks.
A township police officer uncovered 275 text messages between Acevedo-Gerena and the girl. They were consistent with him “requesting and coercing (the girl) to perform sexual acts,” police wrote.
Acevedo-Gerena told investigators during an interview earlier this month he “f----- up,” but denied having sex with the girl. He said he had more than a dozen “sexual encounters” with the girl, police wrote.
No defense lawyer was listed. A message left Thursday with Centre County Assistant Public Defender Ellie Vanier, who represents Acevedo-Gerena in an ongoing robbery case, was not immediately returned.
Acevedo-Gerena was charged with 48 felonies, including rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, statutory sexual assault, photographing child sexual acts and intercepting communications. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of indecent assault.
He was arraigned Wednesday by District Judge Allen Sinclair, who denied bail. Acevedo-Gerena is incarcerated at the Centre County Correctional Facility.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 3.