Crime & Safety
Man Charged with Raping Two Girls in Baldwin Borough in 2007
Police say that Matthew Bendel, 41, sexually assaulted 12- and 13-year-old Baldwin girls and videotaped one of the encounters.
Matthew Bendel, 41, was charged by at a preliminary hearing on Tuesday with sexually assaulting 12- and 13-year-old girls in Baldwin while Bendel was living in in 2007.
A spokesman for Baldwin Borough police said that Bendel had been living in Van Nuys, CA, since the fall of 2010 but that the crimes were committed against two Baldwin girls.
The girls, who are friends, came to Baldwin police with their accusations in early March, this year, the spokesman said.
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Police arrested Bendel 10 days ago. He is currently in Allegheny County Jail on a $500,000 straight cash bond.
Bendel has been charged with at least two counts each of rape, statutory sexual assault, sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and indecent assault.
Find out what's happening in Baldwin-Whitehallwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The exact location of the crimes is not being released since that location is one of the victims' residences.
Police say that Bendel videotaped and took photographs of himself and one of the girls having sex.
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