Man Arrested on Child Rape Charges

A Port Royal man is facing 97 charges related to the alleged rape and sexual assault of a child over a period of four months in 2016 at a Millheim residence.

Matthew John Sheffer, 35, was arrested on Tuesday night by Pennsylvania State Police – Rockview after an investigation that began in July 2016. He was arraigned before District Judge Carmine Prestia and is being held at the Centre County Correctional Facility in lieu of $250,000 bail.

The felony charges against him include 10 counts of rape of a child, 10 counts of rape by forcible compulsion, 10 counts of statutory sexual assault, one count of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, one count of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, one count of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 16, 14 counts of unlawful contact with a minor – sexual offenses, 11 counts of sexual assault, 14 counts of indecent assault of a person under the age of 13, and one count of corruption of minors.

Misdemeanor charges include 11 counts of indecent exposure and 14 counts of indecent assault.

According to a criminal complaint, state police were called by Centre County Children and Youth Services on July 28, 2016 after the girl told her mother what allegedly occurred between January and April.

The girl told police that in January she woke up with her pants down and a condom wrapper nearby. She then allegedly recounted multiple instances of sexual abuse and indicated she was raped at least 10 times. Sheffer lived in the home with the girl and her mother, with whom he was in a relationship until they broke up in April, according to the complaint. The alleged assaults occurred while the mother was not at home.

The girl’s mother was ‘very upset,’ according to the complaint, because she previously thought Sheffer might be cheating on her but never suspected he may be sexually abusing her daughter until the girl disclosed the allegations.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 8.