A Lititz man charged with raping and sexually assaulting four victims pleaded guilty to 27 total charges Wednesday afternoon in Lancaster County Court.

Melvin R. Petersheim, 49 of the 600 block of Integrity Drive, entered a guilty plea for charges of rape of a child (2x), statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault (3x), unlawful contact with a minor (4x), incest of minor (2x), aggravated indecent assault of a person less than 13 (3x), aggravated indecent assault of a person less than 16 (2x), corruption of minors (4x), indecent assault of a person less than 13 (4x), and indecent assault of a person less than 16 (2x).

Lancaster County Judge Merrill Spahn accepted the guilty plea and will sentence the defendant on a later date after a Sexually Violent Predator determination is made. The maximum possible sentence is 339 years in prison.

The abuse occurred between 2012 and 2021 in Manheim Township.

On November 1, 2021, Manheim Township Police received a child welfare report from Lancaster County Children & Youth. Subsequent interviews with the victims revealed and detailed the abuse.

Assistant District Attorney Fritz Haverstick prosecuted the case.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.