The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

May 15, 2012

Man raped 3 girls, police say

By Joe Pinchot Herald Staff Writer

JACKSON TOWNSHIP — A former Mercer County man was arrested by the FBI in Nashville Tuesday on charges that he raped three girls over a three-year period in Jackson Township, state police said.

Michael D. Lewis, 40, is waiting extradition to Mercer County on charges of 120 counts each of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and unlawful contact with a minor; 121 counts of aggravated indecent assault; two counts each of indecent assault, furnishing liquor to minors and sexual abuse of children; 142 counts of corruption of minors; 12 counts of attempted rape; and one count of attempted indecent assault.

The girls were 9, 10 and 12 when the alleged abuse started, police said. They are all related and sometimes were assaulted with one or both of the other girls present, police said.

The assaults occurred in 2009 through 2011, police said.

A woman reported April 2 that Lewis apparently had been molesting two girls, and the girls identified another girl.

The girls underwent forensic interviews at Child Advocacy Center, Youngstown, and reported that sexual assaults took place at and around a home in the 100 block of Bestwick Road, Jackson Township, including in a camper, in the woods, near a strip mine, in a tree house, in a shooting shanty, in a van, on a golf cart and on a four-wheeler, police said.

The property is near where Lewis used to live.

One of the girls said Lewis gave her marijuana on four or five occasions, and vodka and cranberry juice twice. Another said she believed Lewis put Ecstasy pills in her drink, and he had given her beer, rum, wine coolers and vodka. He also made her smoke pot, the second girl said.

Lewis told one girl not to tell anyone about the incidents, police said. Another girl said she was scared of Lewis’ conduct, but that she could not do anything because she knew he would hurt her, police said. The third girl said she recalled Lewis threatening to push the other two into a strip mine, and to kill them.

A girl reported that Lewis once told her he was going to have sex with her, and did not heed her when she said no.

Another girl said Lewis told her she was “hot, sexy and cute,” police said.

She told Lewis to stop the abuse and that it was wrong and illegal, but he responded, “I know you like it.”

Lewis took nude pictures of two girls with his cellular telephone, police said, and made two of the girls hold contests to see who had the better body.

Police said they have obtained possible physical evidence that has been sent to a lab for analysis.

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