QUARRYVILLE, Pa. — Police in Lancaster County have charged a Quarryville man with rape of a child and other offenses relating to the alleged sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl late last year.
Shane Howe, 27, of Quarryville, was charged after a seven-month investigation of the allegations, according to Quarryville Police.
The investigation began in December 2022, when the victim reported the alleged sexual assault to a police officer who responded to her home on a separate police matter, authorities said.
Howe was an occupant of the home at the time, according to police.
The officer recovered physical evidence from the girl's room pertaining to the assault, police claim.
Lancaster County Children and Youth Services was contacted and initiated a safety plan to remove the victim from the home at that time, according to police.
Over the course of the investigation, police executed several search warrants pertaining to the case, including search warrants for DNA samples.
The DNA was forensically analyzed and found to match genetic material left behind by Howe during the alleged sexual assault, police said.
The victim was also interviewed by investigators and was able to corroborate physical evidence recovered from the scene, according to police.
Howe was charged and arrested on July 13, police said. In addition to indecent sexual intercourse with a child, he is charged with unlawful contact with a minor, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age and corruption of minors.
He was transported to Lancaster County Prison for arraignment and is considered innocent until proven guilty in court, according to police.
