Trial rescheduled in Delaware court for man accused of raping young girl

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The trial for a Delaware man accused of raping a girl — set to begin this week — has been rescheduled.

Patrick Martin Howell, 46, of 22 Vernon Ave., was originally scheduled to appear in court today to face five charges of rape.

The trial has been rescheduled for Nov. 10 in Delaware County Common Pleas Court.

The trial was rescheduled after Howell’s attorney, Christoper Soon, filed a motion Sept. 22 to continue the trial because of another ongoing trial in Judge David Gormley’s court.

Howell was being held in the Delaware County Jail Monday afternoon.

Assistant county prosecuting attorney Doug Dumolt told Gormley at Howell’s arraignment in May that Howell had engaged in oral, anal and vaginal sex with a girl under the age of 13 between April 2013 and October 2014. Dumolt added that Howell also used sex toys on the girl and showed her pornography.

Court documents say the rapes occurred between April 12, 2013, and Oct. 31, 2014, while the girl was younger than 13. She is now 13.

Howell was indicted May 22 on five counts of rape, all first-degree felonies. Dumolt said the sentences for each of these charges would be life imprisonment, if he is convicted, because of the age of the girl.

Howell entered a plea of not guilty at his arraignment.

Dumolt said Howell was arrested after the victim told a friend about what had happened and the friend subsequently told an adult. Howell was arrested by Delaware police May 15 after the crime was reported to Delaware County Job and Family Services.

Howell
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2015/09/web1_Patrick-Howell.jpgHowell

By Glenn Battishill

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Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903 or on Twitter @BattishillDG.

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