Pa. Man Who Prosecutor Says Used Girl as 'Sex Toy' for Years Gets Decades in Prison By Nicole Acosta

A Pennsylvania man will spend decades behind bars for repeatedly sexually abusing a young girl.

Dalton Rodney Lewis, 22, was sentenced to 35 to 70 years in prison on Oct. 23 after pleading guilty to one count of rape and six counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, among other charges, according to a press release from the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said Lewis repeatedly raped the victim at his home beginning when she was about 6 years old. In January 2024, the then-15-year-old victim told police Lewis had forced her to perform sexual acts against her will for years.

Lewis was arrested after admitting to police that he sexually abused the girl, prosecutors said.

Assistant District Attorney Fritz Haverstick told the court Lewis used the girl as a “sex toy” for nearly a decade and deserved a long state prison sentence, per the release.

The victim also spoke in court, saying she struggles to move through life with the traumatic memories of Lewis assaulting her.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve having him do that,” the victim said, per the release. She added that she hopes Lewis gets “the help he needs” in prison and never hurts anyone else again.

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Lewis’ attorney agreed with prosecutors that his client’s behavior was “every parent’s worst nightmare,” but argued that Lewis’ young age at the time of the sex assaults warranted a lesser sentence, the release states.

Per prosecutors, Lewis apologized to the victim, her family and the court for his actions, adding that he hopes she “lives a good life from here on out.”