Wayne County man charged with child rape
Nov. 3—Over the course of a decade, a Paupack Twp. man raped and sexually abused a young girl in Wayne County, state police at Honesdale said.
Robert A. Perricone, 37, of Lakeville, warned the girl to stay silent, saying he would rather kill himself than go to prison. As the two exchanged texts on Facebook Messenger last month, he said there would be "no way to fight this" if she blamed him.
"I'll be labeled as a threat to you and others," Perricone said, according to a criminal complaint prepared by Trooper Jeffrey Kistle.
The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.
The 15-year-old victim went to an area hospital recently for treatment and disclosed that Perricone raped her, prompting a police investigation.
During a follow-up interview, state police said she revealed Perricone began abusing her 10 years ago.
She told investigators she felt helpless. Perricone was too strong for her to push him off. Sexual contact happened at least once a week, according to investigators.
Perricone is charged with rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of a child, sexual assault and aggravated indecent assault, among other counts. State police filed a criminal complaint Tuesday. The Wayne County district attorney's office announced the arrest Thursday.
Perricone is jailed at the Wayne County Correctional Facility in lieu of $120,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9100, x5187; @jkohutTT on Twitter.
