Man arrested in rape of girls, 6 and 13

WEST CHESTER » A Parkesburg man was arrested and charged with raping and molesting two young girls over several years when they stayed at their grandmother’s house in Caln Township.

Claude Edwards, 64, was arraigned on charges of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and related sex offenses for abuse of the girls, ages 6 and 13, that took place over many years. He was remanded to Chester County Prison in lieu of $1 million bail.

The investigation by the Chester County Detectives office began in June when the two girls came forward to tell of the crimes.

“The defendant robbed two innocent girls of their childhoods by repeatedly violating them, sometimes every day,” said Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan. “He engaged in unimaginable cruelty and depravity to satisfy his deviant behavior. My office will keep children safe from these horrific types of predators by holding them accountable for all of their life-altering criminality.”

One of the children told detectives that in 2009, when she was 6 or 7 years old, Edwards began molesting her at her grandmother’s house in Caln Township, where she would stay at night when her mother was at work. Edwards lived with the child’s grandmother. The child said the abuse occurred daily, and she was frightened during all of the assaults.

The young child would be locked in a bathroom or bedroom by Edwards, who would force her to touch his genitals. When the child resisted, Edwards assaulted her by touching her vagina, breasts and buttocks, authorities said.

Edwards also forced the young child to perform oral sex on him and forced her to watch pornographic videos while he told her how he wanted to engage in similar activities with her.

Edwards told the child that she would get into trouble if she told anyone. This abuse ended when the child was 11 years old in 2011, when the child’s grandmother died.

The second victim was 8 years old when she was raped and sexually abused, authorities said.

On one occasion when the child fed her hamster, Edwards forced her to sit on his lap to watch pornographic videos, authorities said. He digitally penetrated her and performed oral sex on her and exposed himself to her, detectives said.

On another occasion, the child bit Edwards’ hand when he used it to muffle her screams. Edwards then instructed her to say she had a bicycle accident after she was visibly bleeding. He told her “They are going to send me away, and nobody’s going to love you,” detectives said.

The abuse finally ended in 2007 when the young girl was 13 and moved out of her grandmother’s home.

Anyone with information on this investigation is asked to call Chester County Detectives at 610344-6866.