A Pennsylvania man who sparked an international manhunt by fleeing to Mexico with an underage girl in 2018 is now facing new charges of raping a child.
Kevin Esterly, 52, was taken into custody in West Virginia on Wednesday morning after two police pursuits. He is awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania where he faces felony charges of rape, statutory sexual assault, and other offenses.
The victim, who is now an adult, alleges that Esterly repeatedly sexually assaulted her and gave her drugs when she was a juvenile. The assaults allegedly started when the victim was 12 years old and continued until 2018.
According to authorities, the victim first met Esterly through their church when she was 8 years old. Esterly was the stepfather of the victim’s friend, and the two families would often spend time together. The victim told investigators that the first assault occurred in 2015 when she was 13 years old, during a family birthday party at which Esterly allegedly provided her with alcohol.
After that incident, the victim claimed that Esterly would sexually assault her almost every time she slept over at his residence. She also alleged that Esterly later provided her with alcohol and drugs in exchange for sexual favors, including methamphetamine.
The victim told police that she became addicted to meth as a result of her relationship with Esterly.
Esterly has a prior conviction for corruption of a minor after he fled to Mexico with a 16-year-old girl in 2018. However, the D.A.’s office would not confirm whether the new charges were related to the same victim or incident.
The family of Esterly’s ex-wife, including his children and stepchildren, are also being affected by the latest arrest. “They thought it was over with the arrest in 2018,” said Attorney John Waldron, who represents Esterly’s ex-wife. “Now they’re confused, depressed, and anxious.”
Source: ABC News
