Audio released after former Harrisburg concertmaster charged with rape of a child
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – New audio has been released by prosecutors between a former Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra concertmaster and a woman accusing him of raping her as a child
Roughly two hours of phone calls between the accuser and Rathnam that helped lead to his arrest were released after Lower Paxton Township Police said Ratham repeatedly abused a child.
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In the recordings Rathnam largely denies what the victim says happened, partially blaming a drinking problem. In the recordings the victim says she’s considering telling the police what happened in case there are other victims.
“I did not do this anywhere else and it stopped between us,” says Rathnam in the recordings. “I know that you have to – I don’t know what to tell you except, um, it will be the end of everything for me.”
The alleged abuse began when the accuser was between six and nine years old in Dauphin County and other locations in Pennsylvania. Officials say the assaults allegedly occurred repeatedly between 2008 and 2019 in different places, including on a park bench.
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During that time Rathnam was with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, but recently he’s been living in Cleveland working for a university. Police say the victim’s medical records also helped lead to an arrest, but it was the phone calls recorded by police that solidified the arrest.
The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra says they have “recently learned about sexual assault charges filed” and that Rathnam “has not been affiliated with the HSO” since he left in 2012.
“We will do everything we can to cooperate fully should we be contacted by law enforcement as part of their investigation. To date, we have not been contacted and have no reason to believe that any parties related to the HSO were involved in these allegations. It is our policy not to comment further,” said the HSO in a statement on Thursday.
Rathnam is being held with no chance of bail in the Dauphin County Prison on charges including rape of a child, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age, statutory sexual assault, and indecent exposure.
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