The trial of a man accused of raping a female colleague begins

MEDIA COURT — A Darby Township man is on trial this week on rape and related offenses before Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony Cappelli.

Anthony D. Waters Jr., 27, is also charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault and indecent assault for allegedly sexually assaulting a colleague during his break in June 2021.

The jury heard from Darby Township Police Officer Nick Pascale, who met with the alleged victim and her mother at Taylor Hospital on June 24, 2021, where a rape test was conducted.

Pascale said he began learning details from the woman, who reported that a co-worker assaulted her during a night shift. The alleged victim became distraught and began crying, he said, after which Pascale arranged an interview with a detective.

The alleged victim, now 22, also said she was at the Darby Walmart at 13 S. MacDade Blvd. worked. when the attack occurred. She said she switched from day work to night work in June 2021 and began hanging out during breaks with a co-worker, whom she identified in court as Waters.

Typically, the two would go to the nearby Pep Boys or Wells Fargo bank during break time to smoke marijuana, she said.

On June 21, she said Waters asked her questions about her love life and the two eventually kissed. Waters pulled out his penis on that occasion, but the alleged victim said she did not want to take any further action.

The next day, Waters allegedly suggested they go to the loading docks at nearby Foreman Mills during their break.

Once there, the alleged victim said Waters began kissing her and then inserted his fingers inside her. She said she told him she didn’t agree with it and didn’t want him to do it again. He pulled out his penis again, she said.

“I told him I wasn’t doing it, it wasn’t my thing,” she said.

Shortly afterwards, he forcibly began sexual intercourse, the victim said.

She said she told him several times that she wasn’t happy with what he was doing, but he didn’t stop until a truck arrived at the loading dock.

The two then pulled their pants back up and got back to work, she said, but she felt pain in her stomach and vagina as well as nausea. The alleged victim said she was bleeding and was confused and distraught about what happened.

The alleged victim said a mentor called her later that day and she burst into tears and then told her what happened. She then informed her mother, who took her to the hospital.

Assistant District Attorney Beth Ramos also had the alleged victim read several text messages with Waters, including one immediately after the alleged assault in which Waters said, “This was my fault.”

In later texts, the alleged victim reiterated that she told Waters she didn’t want to have sex, but he ignored her and forced her to do so. He then apologizes and says he has never done anything wrong or hurtful to a woman.

Under cross-examination by defense attorney Paige Benedetto, the alleged victim said Waters was only partially erect during the alleged attack, which lasted about three minutes.

Although the woman sent screenshots of the text conversations immediately following the alleged assault to Darby Township Detective Daniel Fynes on June 25, 2021, Benedetto noted that there were three text messages she sent to Waters on June 24, the day she the hospital had not attached, nor the nine text responses from Waters.

The trial is expected to continue today. Waters remains free on $2,500 bail.