A judge sentenced an Elizabethtown Borough man to 46 to 100 years in state prison this month after a jury had found him guilty of raping and sexually abusing four young children more than a decade ago.

Judge Jeffery Wright handed down the sentence to Robert E. Anderson, 55, on May 4.

A jury had found Anderson guilty of 37 different offenses including three counts of rape of a child, one count of attempted rape of a child, six counts of statutory sexual assault and one count of attempted statutory sexual assault, among other charges, following a trial in December.

Assistant District Attorney Fritz Haverstick, who prosecuted the case, argued that Anderson was a “con man” whose entire persona was made to convince others that he was a decent person who cared about the children.

In reality, Haverstick said, Anderson was taking advantage of people’s trust in order to abuse the victims. 

Prior to handing down the sentence Judge Wright commended the victims for coming forward to reveal the truth about a man who was supposed to love and protect them. 

Anderson raped and sexually abused the victims at his residence in the first block of Foxfield Lane and other various Elizabethtown addresses between 2013 and 2018.

One of the victims told police Anderson began sexually abusing them when they were 11 years old. Anderson forced the victim to sleep in the same bed as him and would subject the victim to rape and sexual abuse in exchange for gifts, they said. 

The abuse ultimately ended when the victim was about 16 years old, though Anderson warned the victim not to tell anyone of his actions.

Another victim, a family friend, told police Anderson raped and abused them when they visited his home several times in early 2018. The victim, who was in the sixth grade at the time, said Anderson on one occasion brought them to his home under the guide of helping them complete a school project, only to instead subject them to sexual abuse. 

On at least two occasions Anderson told the same victim not to tell anyone what had happened, they said. 

Police began investigating Anderson years later when the victims disclosed that he had molested them.

Elizabethtown Borough Police Det. Matthew Shuey filed the charges.