Newark police last week arrested a 34-year-old man on charges of raping an 11-year-old girl, according to a press release issued Monday afternoon.
The man, identified by police as Anthony Omeire, raped the girl at her father’s home and sent a series of “sexual messages” to the girl via Snapchat over about a two-month period, according to police.
In the press release, Lt. Andrew Rubin wrote that the girl’s mother contacted Newark police in late June. The mother had found “sexual messages” between her daughter and an unknown person, prompting Newark police to begin an investigation.
Rubin declined to discuss the content of the messages.
Detectives determined Omeire exchanged messages via Snapchat with the 11-year-old girl starting around late April. Rubin said the mother and Omeire had met once at a local restaurant. Omeire found the Snapchat account of her daughter, according to Rubin, and began messaging her.
Rubin said Omeire went to the home of the mother’s ex-husband, the young girl’s father, and forced the girl to have sex with him. Rubin said this occurred about one month after the messaging began, placing the incident around late May.
Newark police arrested Omeire at his home on Wednesday and charged him with two counts of first-degree rape.
Omeire appeared before Justice of the Peace Court #2 by video and was ordered to be held in lieu of $200,000 bail, Rubin said. He is in custody at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington.
Newark police waited five days to make the arrest public. Rubin said the press release was issued once police notified the family and made them aware a release would be sent and “additional investigation” was completed.
“Due to his incarceration status on high bail, there was no immediate threat to the public,” Rubin said.
Police ask anyone with information about the incident to contact Sgt. J. Skinner at (302) 366-7100, ext. 3135, or jskinner@newark.de.us. Victims of crime in Newark can contact Victim Services Coordinator Melissa Pennachi at (302) 366-7100, ext. 3157, or mpennachi@newark.de.us.
Contact reporter Brandon Holveck at bholveck@delawareonline.com.
