Reading man charged with raping 5-year-old girl and 6-year-old girl, police say

A 53-year-old Reading man has been arrested and is facing a litany of charges, including rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault and other offenses after, police claim, he raped at least two children over the course of several years.

In a statement on Thursday, law enforcement officials in Berks County announced that Martin Acevedo, 53, of Reading had been arrested and charged after, police allege, two young girls stepped forward to describe years of sexual abuse they claimed to have endured at the hands of Acevedo.

Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673.

According to police, the youngest victim claimed Acevedo first raped her when she was just 5-year-old.

Police said investigators arrested and charged Acevedo after investigating allegations from a pair of girls, now aged 11 and 8, who claimed he had abused them over the course of several years.

The 11-year-old victim, officials said, told investigators that Acevedo raped her for the first time when she was 6-years-old and the abuse continued, happening multiple times at two separate residences located in Reading.

Acevedo told her, police claim, that if she ever told anyone about the abuse, he would hurt her mother.

Another victim, now 8-years-old, told investigators that Acevedo had abused her multiple times, as well, beginning when she was just 5-years-old.

This abuse, officials said, was also believed to have happened in Reading.

Also, officials said investigators interviewed Acevedo’s family members in New York City and learned that several other children claimed to be aware of — and had allegedly witnessed – Acevedo abusing the two victims involved in this case.

Acevedo was arrested on Wednesday at his home in Reading, according to police.

He is currently in custody in the Berks County Jail on $200,000 bail, police said.

Online court records do not list an attorney who could speak on Acevedo’s behalf.