CLEARFIELD – A Curwensville man is accused of raping a teenage co-worker.
Taylor J. English, 29, is charged by Clearfield Regional police with felony rape-forcible compulsion, criminal attempt-involuntary deviate sexual intercourse forcible compulsion, intimidation of victim/witness, sexual assault and possession of firearm prohibited; misdemeanor corruption of minors, indecent assault, terroristic threats, simple assault and disorderly conduct; and one summary.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, police on June 26, 2023 were notified of the victim’s disclosure to a counselor that she’d been forcibly raped by English one afternoon after work.
The incident allegedly occurred behind a Lawrence Township hotel June 7, 2023 and the victim provided more details in a Child Advocacy Center interview Aug. 7, 2023.
She said the date of the incident, she worked until 11 a.m., but English asked her to stay so he could come early and talk to her before the start of his shift at 1 p.m.
They walked towards a path and through some brush towards the rear of the hotel. She said it took them down a steep slope and she didn’t want to go, but English made her.
Allegedly he took the victim under the hotel’s deck where they couldn’t be seen, then made threats to kill her “whole family” if she didn’t do what he wanted.
When she refused to remove her pants, she said English forcefully pushed her down and raped her. He attempted to rape her a second time, but she managed to push free.
As she fled back to their workplace, she said English caught up to her and again made the threat that he’d kill her “whole family” if she told anyone what he’d done to her.
The victim said on June 10, 2023, she received a video call from English in which he showed her a pistol, and threatened to shoot her sister first.
The affidavit notes that English was later fired for carrying a firearm at work, with this violation also being subject to a separate investigation by police.
The victim said she decided to report the rape to her counselor once she realized that there could possibly be other victims.
During a polygraph examination March 6, English reportedly admitted to having sex with the victim but claimed it was consensual.
He said he lied to police in a previous interview because he thought her age made it “illegal” and this was also why he told the victim not to tell anyone.
English also admitted to contacting the victim via video call while her sister was present. He said he didn’t “handle” a pistol but that it might have been visible, and eventually he “agreed” to threatening the victim because he could see how she would perceive it that way.
“By the end of the interview, he conceded that every detail of the [victim’s] statement was accurate,” police said. But, “he continued to deny that he’d raped her.”
English is currently scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing at 9:45 a.m. July 3 during centralized court at the Copper Cork Event Center.