UPDATE:  A Leola man convicted by a Lancaster County jury in May was sentenced to 25-50 years in a State Correctional Institution for the rape of a child over a five year period starting when the victim was 9 years old.  Judge Dennis Reinaker imposed the sentence, and heard the victim's impact statement in Court, noting that the victim expressed forgiveness while the defendant only spoke about the impact on himself.  

Timothy Barker, 48 of the first block of E. Main Street, was found guilty by jury after approximately 30 minutes of deliberations on charges of rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, corruption of minors, and endangering the welfare of children.

Assistant District Attorney Fritz Haverstick prosecuted the case and presented testimony from the victim that the abuse started when she was around 9 and escalated until she was 13.  Haverstick asked for consecutive sentences in this case describing the helplessness that the victim felt with the defendant living in her home and unable to escape the abuse.  

Barker was between the age of 40 and 44 at the time of the abuse, in a caregiving role to the victim when the rape occurred and told the victim he wanted to “teach her how to use her body correctly.”

The victim disclosed the abuse when she was 17 and was interviewed in 2023 by the Lancaster County Children’s Alliance after a referral was generated by a ChildLine report.

West Lampeter Township Police Detective Sergeant Steven Heinly filed charges and testified.

See here for previous release on preliminary hearing.

MEDIA CONTACT:  Erik Yabor