District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer announced today that a jury has found Alfredo Calderon, 39, of Chester, guilty on charges of the Rape of a Child, Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse with a Child, Aggravated Indecent Assault, Indecent Assault, Corruption of Minors, Endangering the Welfare of Children, and related charges, involving two sisters, ages 7 and 4. The trial, which lasted for three days, was presided over by Judge Mary Alice Brennan. The jury deliberated for 20 minutes before reaching its verdict.
“The sexual abuse of children is always deeply disturbing – and it is all the more so when it occurs with the knowledge and tacit consent of the child’s parent. As the jury’s quick verdict in this case demonstrated, this defendant’s actions were utterly unconscionable. In the face of his abhorrent actions, I must commend the remarkable bravery of the two children who – with the invaluable assistance of the staff at the Children’s Advocacy Center – stepped forward to tell their story. Sadly, these children will bear the scars of this man for the rest of their lives. As a community, we must continue to look for ways to support the survivors of sexual abuse,” said DA Stollsteimer.
The investigation was initiated by Detective Corporal Daniel White of the Folcroft Police Department after he received a report of possible child abuse occurring at an apartment on Grant Road in Folcroft. On March 28, 2018, in the course of an interview of a victim/witness at the Children’s Advocacy Center on another matter, the child – then aged 4 – indicated that she was being physically abused and her sister, then aged 7, was being sexually abused by their mother’s boyfriend. The young child reported that the defendant touched her sister under her clothes, and that her mother knew what the defendant was doing to her sister. The child described the defendant as a white male with a tattoo on his arm.
A subsequent interview with the sister of the first victim/witness occurred in September 2018 at the Children’s Advocacy Center. The child confirmed that in addition to multiple occasions of inappropriate touching, the defendant had raped her, as well as multiple instances of oral sex. The incidents occurred at the Folcroft apartment where the child resided with her mother, her sister and her mother’s boyfriend. The child reported that the defendant instructed her not to tell her mother. She described the defendant as a man with curly black hair, yellow teeth and a tattoo on his arm. Detective Corporal White interviewed the mother of the girls, who confirmed that the defendant lived with her and her daughters in their Folcroft apartment. She did not acknowledge the sexual abuse of her daughter, but she said that she was aware of an occasion when her boyfriend had requested a massage from her 7-year old daughter, which had caused her to feel jealous.
“We are all incredibly grateful to Detective Corporal Daniel White and the staff of the Child Advocacy Center for their assistance in bringing this defendant to justice. I also particularly want to thank Assistant District Attorney Diane Horn for bringing this case to a successful conclusion,” said Stollsteimer.
Pending sentencing, the defendant was remanded to George W. Hill Correctional Facility.
The District Attorney and the Criminal Investigations Division remind anyone in Delaware County who observes suspicious activity call to 911 immediately and provide the most specific and accurate details possible to assist law enforcement agencies investigating the call for service.
For press inquiries, please contact Margie McAboy, Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, 610-579-0429.