Bethlehem Man Charged with Raping Township Boy
Vincent J. Arnold, 21, allegedly raped a Lower Saucon Township boy at least 50 times between 2001 and 2006, according to published reports.
A Bethlehem man allegedly raped a boy from Lower Saucon Township at least 50 times between 2001 and 2006, when the child was between the ages of 3 and 8, according to stories published Thursday on both the Morning Call and the Express-Times websites.
Vincent J. Arnold, 21, of the 100 block of Saucon View Drive, allegedly threatened the boy at knifepoint and forced him to perform sex acts at a home on Rosalie Drive in the township, according to the Express-Times story.
The boy, who is now 13, told Northampton County Children, Youth and Families case workers about the alleged abuse in February, and police were then notified, the report states.
According to court records the Morning Call cites, the boy was subsequently interviewed by Lower Saucon police Investigator Christopher Leidy and a Northampton County assistant district attorney.
Arnold, who is charged with 50 counts each of indecent assault, aggravated indecent assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and rape, was arraigned on those charges before District Judge David Tidd and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail, according to the Morning Call report.
shelley
12:00 am on Friday, September 9, 2011
WTF!!! Really? $25,000.00 Bail? Effin kick in the public gut!
Ianza Torres
11:03 pm on Friday, September 9, 2011
there are so many holes in this story, I dont even know where to begin.....If the age of the perp is really 21, and that's not a typo, then according to whats written here, this all took place back in 2001-2006, when he was an 11 year old child, and the victim was 3. The last incident of abuse was when Vincent was 16 and the victim was 8. What brought about the recent February revelations to the authorities?? was the 11 year old predator a victim of sexual abuse as well? Perhaps still?? Is there a statute of limitations on rape cases, and what about cases when there are two juveniles involved? I would assume that's why the bail was set so low ( the age factor) I could be wrong, But something just doesn't add up. even though he is an adult now, if found guilty how long would he be put away for, since the crimes committed happened when the perpetrator was a juvenile himself. SMH
em
11:11 am on Wednesday, September 28, 2011
I went to high school with this creep. he was a loser then and is clearly a loser now. police won't just arrest someone under suspicion for rape. He's a twisted dude. he deserves max penalty.
michele
12:21 am on Saturday, September 17, 2011
Paying high rent to be safe & he lives next door. We have a lot of young kids in our development. He needs to move or I will. Safety first!
Christine Hatchett
5:03 am on Thursday, November 3, 2011
absolute lies! i've known this kid my whole life. he would never hurt a kid that way. he's a goofball, and definitely a little odd, but overall, very sweet and kindhearted. I mean he was supposed to be 11 when he did this? And the other boy was 3? This just doesn't sound right. Why is it coming up now? They better not charge him as an adult for a crime he allegedly did when he was 11, not to mention, how could there possibly be any proof so many years after? I think the public deserves more information; there's a backstory here we're not hearing, and I, for one, just know that he's not the type of person to do such a horrible crime.
GrowUpSaucon
11:20 am on Thursday, November 3, 2011
See why SV needs to move that bus stop? YES, our offender DID do this to a child under 16 but SV doesn't care. NOBODY wants this to happen to their child. I understand Christine that you have a "backstory" and I respect that. We do too, if people knew how we have begged the district , proven the hills ARE safe, PROVEN the rape was done to a child..they would be sickened by the district. I hope this is not true for the young man. The offender "does their time" but these victims live a LIFETIME SENTENCE! I could care less who doesn't like me being vocal about OUR situation because ..we will NOT ALLOW SV to determine the fate of OUR kids! WAKE UP SV! Paula Steuer
Uranus Olglrthorpe
11:53 pm on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
I am acquainted with person and while I know he is troubled I have a hard time believing this story. Those who know Vincent were aware that his foster family was far from loving. Stories of abuse were whispered from people who knew them. They tried to accuse Vincent of abusing his foster sister. These stories proved to be a lie. The ages of both the accused and the victim make the story suspicious. I have no solid proof to say this story is true or false. However, there are two things I know for sure. First, Vincent had no choice but to use a public defender. Anyone who is familiar with the law knows they are quick to plea and they do not give their clients the best representation. Second, and I know this from personal experience, The Morning Call employs irresponsible journalists. They do not check facts or investigate properly before printing a story.
flowerchild
1:46 pm on Sunday, January 13, 2013
Plus, is jail really the best option to rehabilitate a criminal? I'm pretty sure I would be more filled with rage and hate when I got out. And to agree with the post before: The Morning Call writers blow, and twist everything that happens so they can generate a story that will illicit uncomfortable feelings of disgust and rage; it's how the make money. I might not call them irresponsible-- I may just use "liars", but I guess money smooths everything over (too bad the defendant did not have enough to stand a chance).
flowerchild
1:46 pm on Sunday, January 13, 2013
Can anyone (beside select few) in Saucon Valley actually do math? I know writers at the Morning Call can't, but If the offender were 21, that means when he was doing this he was between 9 and 14. Then, this case was brought up 5-10 years after the fact. Is that even legal? Did anyone ask why his parents never picked up on this nor acted upon it? If it happened 50 times, it couldn't have been a secret. Mmmmm....neglect? Blame the parents for not teaching him how to be a proper human before you blame the child. His parents obviously weren't helping the situatuion- where were they? Plus where in the world were the 3-8 year-old's parents? You should throw them in jail for not noticing or paying attention if it happened 50 + times...I mean, you have to be joking. You missed it when it was happening- why throw a man in jail for something he may not have realized the extremity of, plus where'd he learn to be like that? Maybe Saucon Valley dwellers should be more aware of your surroundings and the activities of their children, and less shocked that something happened when no one was watching or guiding the youth of the neighborhood. It makes me wonder...anyone else?