A Beaver County man facing child rape and domestic violence charges in three separate criminal cases pleaded guilty to all charges this week.
Austin Reefer, 29, of Aliquippa, now faces up to 20 years in prison and a lifetime on the Megan’s Law registry.
According to the district attorney’s office, the investigation into Reefer began in May 2022. After a forensic interview, a minor told New Sewickley Township police officers they had been raped by Reefer multiple times between the ages of 7 and 9. At the time of the report, Reefer was already in jail on domestic violence allegations.
In the first case, Reefer faced charges of felony strangulation and simple assault rising from domestic violence against a partner. In the second case, he faced 94 criminal counts related to the sexual assault of a minor, which included 10 counts of rape of a child under 13 and statutory sexual assault. In the third case, Reefer faced charges of felony strangulation, simple assault and endangering the welfare of children related to domestic violence against another person.
Prosecutors agreed to the guilty pleas after all three of Reefer’s victims consented. By avoiding a trial, the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office says the child involved would be spared from additional trauma in the proceedings.
Reefer remains in Beaver County Jail. He will be sentenced later this year.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Aliquippa man pleads guilty in child rape and domestic violence cases