Facebook 'confession' leads to charges
EPHRATA - An Ephrata man is facing charges after reportedly confessing on Facebook to raping a girl.
Bowen R. Carpenter, 47, pleaded not guilty to rape of a child in the first degree in Grant County Superior Court.
Grant County Superior Court Judge Evan Sperline set bail at $25,000, according to court records.
Ephrata police started investigating the incident after the victim's mother reported the victim told a friend she'd been molested by Carpenter, according to court records. Carpenter and the victim's mother were dating and living together at the time of the incident.
Carpenter allegedly raped the girl when she was nine. The incident reportedly occurred after the girl's mother left for work, and she and her sister were sleeping in the same bed as Carpenter.
The case was previously investigated in 2008, but didn't proceed because the victim didn't say anything about the alleged incident during a previous interview. She told police, during the first interview, she didn't understand what Carpenter did, according to the police report.
Carpenter reportedly didn't deny the accusation when officers interviewed him, saying he didn't remember the incident, according to the police report. He allegedly admitted to having sexual thoughts about the girl.
After the interview, police discovered Carpenter allegedly confessed to raping the victim and molesting a female relative on his Facebook page, according to the police report. In his status update, he allegedly wrote he didn't expect to be forgiven, but he wanted to apologize for his actions.
Police reportedly confirmed it was Carpenter's page through photographs and other items on the page related to Carpenter.
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