A man who has been charged with raping a 15-year-old girl in Quakertown may have victimized other young women, the Bucks County District Attorney’s office announced Tuesday.
In announcing the charges against 32-year-old Miguel Angel Sanchez of Sellersville, both the DA’s office and the Quakertown Borough Police Department said they “have reason to believe that there may be other victims” and encouraged anyone who may have information related to the ongoing investigation to contact Det. Ryan Naugle of the Quakertown Police at 215-536-5002.
Authorities in Bucks County have charged 32-year-old Miguel Angel Sanchez of Sellersville, pictured above, with raping a 15-year-old girl he allegedly met via the social media app Snapchat. (Credit: Bucks County District Attorney’s office)
According to the district attorney’s office, Sanchez was arrested Nov. 3 after the 15-year-old reported to Quakertown Police that she was raped in a parked car outside the Giant store at 1465 W. Broad Street in late October. Police said the alleged victim reported that she “had met Sanchez on one prior occasion” and had exchanged contact information with him through the Snapchat app prior to the encounter.
“During Snapchat conversations, Sanchez would ask the victim for videos of her nude and/or performing sex acts in exchange for money,” the DA’s office said in a news release it published on Crimewatch, adding that “Sanchez also communicated with one of the victim’s friends, a 16-year-old girl, through Snapchat, (who) he also asked…for sex videos in exchange for money.”
The 15-year-old reported to police that she had been in a white, four-door vehicle, and after reviewing store surveillance footage police were able to link a white vehicle they observed parked in the supermarket’s lot to Sanchez, the release said.
The district attorney’s office said Sanchez’s driver’s license photo also “matched a photo found on the victim’s phone.”
According to the news release, at the time of his arrest, Sanchez “was out on bail in Montgomery County for charges that include an indecent assault.”
In the Quakertown borough case, Sanchez is charged with felony rape, felony statutory sexual assault, felony involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, felony trafficking, felony sexual assault, felony unlawful restraint, felony unlawful contact with a minor, felony false imprisonment of a minor, felony aggravated indecent assault, felony criminal solicitation, felony corruption of minors and indecent assault.
Following a preliminary arraignment Nov. 3, he was committed to Bucks County Correctional Facility without bail, according to the court docket filed in his case.
Sanchez is believed to be a flight risk, according to the district attorney’s office, which reported that Judge Lisa Gaier cited potential “danger to the community” and the fact that he faces similar charges in Montgomery County in denying bail.
According to the docket, Sanchez’s next court date is a formal arraignment scheduled for Friday, Dec. 15 at 12 p.m.
The docket indicated that Sanchez is being represented by a private attorney, but as of Tuesday noted that the attorney had not yet filed an entry of appearance with the court.
Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using information from the Bucks County District Attorney’s office and Bucks County court records.
