Police: 47-year-old Palmyra man arrested for decades-old sexual assault case in Virginia
A 47-year-old Palmyra man has been charged by Virginia police with the alleged sexual assaults of two children in Woodbridge over two decades ago.
Shawn Gooden was charged with two counts of indecent liberties, two counts of forcible sodomy and five counts of aggravated sexual battery.
On March 4, the Prince William County Special Victims Bureau detectives began an investigation into sexual assaults that occurred in several locations in the Woodbridge area. Officials reported the incidents occurred between January 1997 and December 2000.
The investigation revealed that the victim, who was between 9 and 13 during that time, was sexually assaulted on more than one occasion, according to police.
During the investigation, detectives alleged that Gooden is believed to have assaulted another victim. Officials said the victim, who was between 8 and 12 at the time, was assaulted on more than one occasion.
Police said the incidents were recently reported to the department.
On Sept. 5, members of the North Londonderry Township Police Department took Gooden, who lives in Palmyra, into custody.
Police reported Gooden will remain in the Lebanon County Correctional Facility until he is extradited to Virginia. His court date is still pending.
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In 2021, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, there were 38,013 reports of suspected abuse received statewide. Department officials reported 58 children died and 136 nearly died because of abuse and/or neglect.
The Department of Human Services operates a 24/7 hotline to report suspected child abuse or concerns about the welfare of a child. ChildLine can be reached at 800-932-0313.
Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on Twitter at @DAMattToth.
This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: 47-year-old Palmyra man arrested for decades-old sexual assault case
