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Warren Man Charged In Connection With Drowning Death Now Faces Rape Charges

Richard D. Barrett, 3435 Conewango Ave., is escorted from District Judge Raymond Zydonik's courtroom on Wednesday after he was arraigned on rape charges in connection with repeated assaults between 1986 and 1992. Photo by Josh Cotton

WARREN, Pa. — A Warren, Pa., man — convicted as a sexual offender in Florida in 1996 — has been charged with rape of a child dating back as far as 1986.

Richard D. Barrett, 54, 3435 Conewango Ave., was charged again on Wednesday.

Back in December, he was charged with raping a child and, three months before that, charged with felony endangerment in connection with the drowning death of a 2-year-old child in Hatch Run earlier in the year.

City of Warren police detail in the affidavit of probable cause that a report from the victim in this case was received on Dec. 16, 2020.

That victim alleged sexual assault by Barrett from when she was between 6 and 12 years old. That means these allegations date to between 1986 and 1992.

Police interviewed the victim who reported that Barrett “used to babysit her while her parents were at work” and was a “friend of the family.”

The victim alleged that the assaults occurred at Barrett’s Third Ave. residence or at Beaty Park “in the wooded area next to the water….”

The victim reported “it was the same procedure every time he watched her” as Barrett “would go to the park when she arrived or proceed to sexually assault her at the residence when she first arrived.”

Police detail asking the victim when the assaults ended and she reported that her family moved to Florida around 1992. She told police Barrett moved to Florida and “lived across the street from her family.”

The affidavit states that the assaults continued in Florida until a friend reported the conduct to her mother, who called police.

City police obtained a copy of the arrest record from Florida that indicates that Barrett “was taken into custody” for sexual battery.

“In the report,” police allege, Barrett “admitted to committing sexual acts on the victim since she was six years old, which would have occurred in Warren, Pennsylvania” as well as admitting to sexual intercourse.

During a preliminary arraignment held Wednesday before District Judge Raymond Zydonik, Barrett detailed his prior record.

Zydonik asked the arresting officer about any concerns he might have regarding bail.

Detective Tony Chimenti said the victim is “scared to death” of Barrett and has seen him in public.

She has “lived through a lifelong traumatic episode,” he added. “I fear for her safety.”

Zydonik set bail at $100,000 and added conditions including that he have no contact with the victim and not have unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18.

Online court records indicate he was unable to post bail and is being held at the Warren County Jail on charges of rape — forcible compulsion and corruption of minors.

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