William Larue, 63, charged with 1988 rape of 8-year-old girl in Lancaster

A Lancaster man faces rape charges over a 1988 assault on an 8-year-old girl. The case will proceed to the Court of Common Pleas after a preliminary hearing.

Lancaster man to stand trial for rape of child committed nearly four decades ago

A case involving a 63-year-old Lancaster man accused of raping an 8-year-old girl in late 1988 or early 1989 will proceed to the Court of Common Pleas, yahoo.com reports, citing the Office of Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams.

William Larue, of the 300 block of Hand Avenue, faces one count each of rape by threat of forcible compulsion and rape of a mentally ill or deficient victim. A judge ruled at a preliminary hearing that the evidence was sufficient to advance the case to county court.

Larue is alleged to have assaulted the victim at his then-residence on the 300 block of Beaver Street in December 1988 or early 1989. He would have been in his mid-20s at the time and was in a relationship with the victim's mother, the DA's office said.

During the hearing, the now-46-year-old victim testified that Larue was babysitting her and her three siblings when he forced her to commit sexual acts. After her siblings fell asleep, she said, Larue forcibly raped her and covered her mouth when she cried out in pain. She also recalled that Larue smelled of alcohol at the time. Her siblings were present in the room but were unaware of what had occurred.

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Ponessa, who will prosecute the case, argued that the victim was unable to resist due to Larue's larger physical size and was too young to provide consent. The victim stated she was "only 8 years old" and "just a baby" when the rape took place.

According to the DA's office, the victim showed symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease within days of the assault and was subsequently placed in foster care for two years. She disclosed the rape to medical personnel who examined her for STDs at the time, but did not identify Larue by name, saying she was afraid. She formally reported the assault to Lancaster City Police in 2025.

Larue is currently held at Lancaster County Prison on $2 million bail.

Source: Google News CA — Crime (EN)