DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say a Pennsylvania handyman accused of serial child rape kept a “perverse shrine” in his trailer — hundreds of pairs of used girl’s underwear — and documented his crimes in hundreds of disturbing, graphic images and writings.
Fifty-eight-year-old William Charles Thomas was arraigned Tuesday on 51 charges, including five counts of child rape. Authorities are urging other victims to come forward, saying Thomas wrote about molesting children as young as 3 since he was in his 20s, dating back to the 1970s.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Thomas stalked his child victims, raped them, and collected pieces of their clothing. He sometimes wrote graphic details of his crimes on pieces of plywood that he used in renovations.
Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub called Thomas a “real-life boogeyman.”
“This is a parent’s worst nightmare,” Weintraub said.
Police in the Philadelphia suburbs say they began an investigation after the owner of a trailer Thomas had just renovated found a piece of plywood on which Thomas had written about sexually assaulting two young girls.
Along with the underwear, investigators said Thomas recorded everything he did, and found thousands of images of child pornography. Officials said the victims were both male and female, ranging in ages from 2 to 10 years old.
“The human race hasn’t come up with words of what we saw in the trailer,” said Lt. Henry Ward with Falls Township Police, calling the scene “horrific.”
Thomas could not be reached for comment in jail. Court documents do not list an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
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