A man charged with raping and sexually abusing a young boy years ago at an Ephrata Borough residence will have his case proceed to county court following a preliminary hearing. 

Judge Torrey Landis ruled June 15 that the case of Gustavo Fernandez-Barbosa, whose current address is unknown, could proceed to the Court of Common Pleas on three counts of raping a child, three counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child and a single count each of statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault of a child, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age, corruption of minors and unlawful contact with a minor.

Fernandez-Barbosa, 49, is accused of raping and abusing the victim at an apartment in the 300 block of Lincoln Avenue between around 2015 and 2016. The victim would have been about 7 or 8 years old at the time. 

In a forensic interview the now-teenaged victim said Fernandez-Barbosa, a family friend, had raped and sexually assaulted him at the residence for more than a year.

On one occasion the victim said Fernandez-Barbosa entered his room while he was playing video games and assaulted him. After a different assault the victim said he felt weak and couldn’t move. 

Police began investigating Fernandez-Barbosa in February 2024 when the now-teenaged victim told school employees that he had been sexually assaulted years earlier. 

Though Fernandez-Barbosa is last known to have resided in Tucson, Ariz. and is also known to have lived in Florida for a time, his whereabouts remained unknown until his arrest in April. He remains in Lancaster County Prison in lieu of $500,000 bail.

Ephrata Borough Police Det. Beth Rivera filed the charges.

Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Lapp will prosecute the case.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.