Hellertown Man Accused of Holding Woman Against Her Will, Raping Her

A 30-year-old Hellertown man is charged with Rape-Forcible Compulsion (a first-degree felony), Strangulation (a second-degree felony), terroristic threats, simple assault, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment and several other drug-related misdemeanors after authorities say he allegedly held a woman he met on the popular dating website Plenty of Fish against her will and raped her several times over a period of about 24 hours at the Holiday Inn Express hotel, 2200 Cherry Lane, Bethlehem, WFMZ Channel 69 News reported Monday.

The TV news station reported that Seth R. Mull was arrested after police responded to the hotel for a report of a woman who had been abused and later interviewed her at St. Luke’s University Hospital, Bethlehem, where she reportedly told them she’d willingly had sex with Mull before the situation turned violent, with Mull allegedly telling her she belonged to him, burning her with a cigarette lighter and choking her, and threatening to kill her, her family and her friends.

Mull was committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $500,000 bail following a preliminary arraignment Sunday before District Judge Joseph K. Barner, according to online court records. A preliminary hearing before Barner is scheduled for Nov. 9 at 9 a.m.