Pennsylvania Psychologist Richard Lenhart, in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Patients, Charged with Rape of Child

April 2, 2021

A former State College psychologist who is currently serving a prison sentence for indecently assaulting patients and insurance fraud is facing new charges alleging that he sexually abused a child over a nearly eight-year period prior to his initial arrest.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office on Wednesday charged 59-year-old Richard Scott Lenhart with felony counts of rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual assault of a child, sexual assault, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors.

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed Wednesday, a woman reported to State College police in July 2019 that she was sexually assaulted and raped by Lenhart on a regular basis when she was a child between 2006 and 2013.

A special agent for the attorney general’s office wrote that the woman made the report after years of counseling and previously being unable to talk about her relationship with Lenhart.

During an interview last year with investigators from State College police and the attorney general’s office, the woman said Lenhart first engaged in grooming behavior that led to sexual assault and rape, according to the criminal complaint

The woman detailed seven specific instances of sexual abuse that she could recall occurring when she was between the ages of 8 and 15.

Investigators interviewed Lenhart on March 10 at Rockview state prison, where he is currently incarcerated. Lenhart allegedly said he believes the woman “really thinks something happened,” but that she fabricated the allegations “due to other events in her life.” He denied the allegations.

A preliminary arraignment is scheduled for April 9 before District Judge Don Hahn.

“A brave survivor came forward to provide new information regarding a series of disturbing sexual assaults by this defendant prior to his 2014 arrest,” Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement. “While the defendant may be currently serving a prison sentence, this new information warrants additional charges. My office will continue to stand up for all survivors of sexual assault and hold perpetrators accountable.”

Lenhart was first arrested in 2014 on charges that he used his practice to sexually assault two patients and submitted fraudulent insurance claims. He pleaded no contest in 2015 to two counts each of of misdemeanor indecent assault and insurance fraud in 2016 was sentenced to three to six years in state prison.

His license to practice psychology was revoked in 2013 following misconduct allegations that led to the criminal charges.

Source: “Former State College Psychologist Charged with Rape of a Child,” Statecollege.com, March 31, 2021, URL: https://www.statecollege.com/former-state-college-psychologist-charged-with-rape-of-a-child/