Alleged rapist to be tracked by GPS
BULLSKIN TWP. – The courts will know where accused rapist Raymond Prinkey is at all times under one of the new terms attached to his bond. At a bond hearing Friday before Magisterial District Judge Robert Breakiron, Prinkey, 18, formerly of 213 Harris Road, Normalville, was placed on house arrest with a Homeguard GPS tracking system so officials will know where he is at all times. Although Prinkey is an adult, he was ordered to report to the juvenile probation office for the tracking device because the house arrest bracelets used by the adult probation office do not include a GPS system.
The new conditions to the $25,000 cash bond Prinkey already has posted were part of an agreement negotiated between Prinkey’s attorney, David S. Shrager, and Fayette County Assistant District Attorney Phyllis Jin.
The agreement also calls for Prinkey to stay out of Saltlick and Springfield townships, where the alleged victim lives. In addition, neither he nor his family is allowed to have any contact with the woman or her family. Because of the geographic restriction, Prinkey will be moving into his mother’s house at 103 Washington Ave., Connellsville, and must report any additional moves to the probation office.
Prinkey also must undergo an alcohol and drug assessment and follow any recommendations made by his counselor. He also must undergo anger-management and psychological counseling and report to probation and pretrial services.
Prinkey is charged with burglary, rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and theft by unlawful taking in connection with an incident April 23 at a home about a quarter mile from his Harris Road address. According to state police, Prinkey walked to the home of the 66-year-old woman and used a key he found under a flowerpot to enter the residence. Prinkey allegedly went through the house looking for money and drugs, specifically Oxycontin. When the resident, who has multiple sclerosis, discovered him in the house, Prinkey allegedly took her into the bedroom and raped her. He then continued to go through the house, steaing $800 and cutting the telephone lines to prevent the woman from calling for help.
The woman remained outside the hearing room Friday. Prinkey agreed to waive his preliminary hearing scheduled for May 23 to spare the woman the need to testify at that time. Several of the woman’s relatives were inside the courtroom and commented on the additional terms of the bond following the hearing.
“He’ll be kept track of. We’ll know he won’t be up around my mom,” the woman’s daughter said. “We just wanted to make sure he couldn’t hurt anyone else.”
The Herald-Standard does not identify rape victims. The daughter’s identity is being withheld to protect the mother’s identity.
The daughter said that prior to the break-in and assault, her mother was very independent, despite her debilitating illness.
“Someone’s with my mother all the time,” the daughter said.
Still, the daughter said, her mother appears to be remaining emotionally strong.
“God has been with her,” the daughter said.
Shrager said he and his client were pleased with the agreement reached Friday.
“Obviously, the commonwealth came with a strong motion to revoke the bond or to raise the bond to a high degree,” Shrager said.
There is a question as to whether the house arrest time will be counted as time served if Prinkey is convicted of the crimes he is charged with.
“I think it should. I can’t say to you with certainty what a judge would do with that issue,” Shrager said.
“In Allegheny County, if you revoke the bond, but they aren’t on the street, they get credit for time served. I said that if we revoked the bond, I was going to ask that he be put in jail,” Jin said.
Jin said she would argue against giving Prinkey and credit for time served during the house arrest period because his monetary bond has not been revoked and the house arrest is merely an additional condition of that bond.