Pennsylvania man who previously fled to Mexico with teen faces new rape charges
Kevin Esterly, a Pennsylvania man who was found in Mexico in 2018 with a 16-year-old, is now facing charges including rape after a alleged victim came forward in February. (Credit: West Virginia Department of Corrections)
LEHIGH, Pa. - A Lehigh County man accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl over several years was arrested in West Virginia after two police chases Wednesday morning.
Kevin Esterly has been charged with rape, sexual assault and several other crimes after the victim, now 23, told police he sexually assaulted her for several years, beginning when she was just 13-years-old.
Esterly, according to prosecutors, is the stepfather of the victim's friend and first met the girl when she was 8-years-old. He would allegedly provide alcohol and drugs to the girl for sexual favors.
In 2018, he was found in Mexico with a missing Pennsylvania 16-year-old girl. He was charged at the time with interference with the custody of a child.
The backstory:
Kevin Esterly, a 53-year-old accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl, was arrested on Wednesday after two police chases in West Virginia.
Investigators in Lehigh County say his alleged victim, who is now 23-years-old, came forward in March and claimed that he sexually assaulted her from 2015-2018.
The investigation revealed that Esterly was the stepfather of one of the victim's friends and first met the victim when she was 8-years-old.
Prosecutors say in 2015, Esterly allegedly provided the then-13-year-old victim with alcohol at a family birthday party and sexually assaulted her.
The victim claims that he would sexually assault her almost every time she stayed at the friend's house, and Esterly would provide alcohol and drugs in exchange for sexual favors.
What we know:
Esterly has been charged with several first-degree felonies, including rape, statutory sexual assault, and unlawful contact with a minor.
He also faces third-degree counts of indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age and endangering the welfare of children.
He was charged at the time with interference with the custody of a child.
Dig deeper:
In 2018, Esterly, a father of four, was found in Mexico with a 16-year-old who was originally reported missing from Allentown.
It was alleged that Esterly signed the teen out of school ten times in the previous months without her parents' permission.
Federal agents and Mexican authorities found Esterly and the teen in Playa del Carmen two weeks after being reported missing in early March.
What's next:
Esterly is currently being held in West Virginia and will be extradited back to Pennsylvania to face the charges.