A Lancaster Township man charged with raping a 10-year-old boy will have his case proceed to county court after waiving his preliminary hearing. 

Steve Anthony Jones, Jr., of the first block of Baron Drive, waived his preliminary hearing before Judge Mary Mongiovi Sponaugle on June 26 on charges of rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault of a child, sexual assault, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age and indecent assault without consent.

Jones, 42, is accused of raping the victim at their shared residence in the first block of Baron Drive during the early morning hours of May 8.

Still images from a camera mounted outside the victim’s bedroom purport to show Jones entering the victim’s bedroom twice shortly before 1 a.m. and again shortly after 2 a.m. On the second occasion, Jones leaves the victim’s bedroom without wearing a shirt.

The victim told police Jones warned him that if he told anyone about the assault that he would use a gun on him.  Moments after Jones left the room the victim sent his mother a message asking her to call police, afraid that Jones would use the gun on him, his mother told investigators. 

In an interview with police Jones admitted to having entered the victim’s bedroom but denied raping them, claiming he had been playing a video game. When police examined a PlayStation inside the victim’s bedroom there was no indication that anyone had played a game at the times Jones claimed he had been playing .

Jones remains in Lancaster County Prison without bail.

Lancaster Township Police Det. Joshua Whiteside filed the charges.

Assistant District Attorney Jaimes Spring will prosecute the case.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.