Earl township man accused of raping young girls waives hearings, case heads to county court

LANCASTER, PA – A 44-year-old Earl Township man accused of repeatedly raping and sexually abusing two young girls has waived his preliminary hearings, allowing both criminal cases against him to proceed to county court.

Carlos Jimenez Venegas, of the 100 block of Tabor Road, appeared before Judge Jonathan Heisse on February 3, where he waived hearings on a total of 15 felony and misdemeanor charges, including rape of a child, indecent assault, and related offenses.

Prosecutors allege that between 2014 and 2019, Jimenez Venegas raped one of the victims approximately 30 times — first at a home in the 100 block of Maple Street in Leacock Township, and later at another residence in the 3500 block of Lincoln Highway East in Paradise Township. The victim told investigators she was between 9 and 14 years old when the abuse occurred and said Jimenez Venegas threatened to kill her mother if she resisted.

According to the Pennsylvania State Police, while investigating the initial complaint, detectives learned of a second victim, who reported being sexually abused several times by Jimenez Venegas at his Earl Township home when she was between 8 and 13 years old.

Case moves to county court

Court records show Jimenez Venegas waived two separate preliminary hearings before Judge Heisse—one involving 10 charges, including rape of a child, and another with five felony counts of indecent assault and related offenses.

He remains in Lancaster County Prison in lieu of $1.25 million bail from both cases combined. The charges now advance to the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas, where he will be formally arraigned at a later date.

Key points:

Carlos Jimenez Venegas, 44, accused of abusing two girls over several years
Faces 15 total felony and misdemeanor counts, including rape of a child
Remains jailed on $1.25 million bail as cases move to county court

Ongoing prosecution and community response

Lancaster County prosecutors have not released further comment, citing the ongoing nature of the case. Both victims are receiving support services coordinated through the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office and local child advocacy agencies.

Jimenez Venegas has not yet entered a plea.

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