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The charges against Daniel Barnett, of Plymouth Township, were brought forward after the now 29-year-old victim told police she was raped by him more than 100 times beginning when she was 5 years old, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said in a joint release.
The woman claims she was abused for six years, from 1997 to 2003, DA Steele said alongside Plymouth Township Police Chief John C. Myrsiades. The alleged abuse ended when she was around 9 or 10 years old, she told authorities.
The subsequent investigation found that Barnett was a friend of the victim’s brother, authorities said.
"The sexual abuse began with him inappropriately touching her private parts over her clothes, then progressed to raping her, digitally penetrating her, and other types of sexual assault," the DA and police chief said.
Barnett was arraigned on Wednesday, April 13 on 20 felony counts of child rape, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse with a child, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, and related offenses.
Barnett was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in lieu of $1 million bail. He was also barred from having any interaction with the victim, children, or disabled individuals, a judge ruled.
His preliminary hearing is set for Tuesday, April 26.
Anyone with information on the investigation is urged to contact Plymouth Township police at 610-279-1901.
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