CLEARFIELD – A Beccaria man pleaded guilty Monday in sentencing court, to rape of a child for an assault on an 8-year-old girl.
Byron Keith Carter, 59, also pleaded guilty to statutory sexual assault and aggravated indecent assault-less than 13-years-old in connection with an incident on May 6, 2023, in Bigler Township, according to a court employee.
President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman sentenced him to serve seven to 20 years in state prison and three years consecutive probation. He will have to register with authorities under Megan’s Law.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, the assault was reported to police on May 7, 2023, with the attack occurring at a camper on Pine Run Road while Carter was babysitting the girl and her friend.
During an interview at the Clearfield County Child Advocacy Center on May 22, 2023, the girl explained she was sleeping in a nearby tent with her friend. When she couldn’t sleep, she decided to go into the camper.
“He got in the bed with me and that’s when things started to happen,” she told investigators.
She stated she was clothed, but Carter was naked when he got into the bed.
When he was questioned on Sept. 13, Carter claimed the victim wanted to sleep in the camper where she only had a bench-style seat to sleep on. He stated he slept in the driver’s seat.
The victim was examined shortly after the assault and evidence collected with a sexual assault kit was sent to the crime lab for processing.
Among the samples taken were suspected sperm and saliva.
After samples were taken from Carter in October, they were compared to the ones taken from the girl. Both the sperm and saliva DNA matched Carter’s samples, according to the report.