WEST CHESTER, PA — The Chester County District Attorney’s Office has announced the arrest of an 18-year-old Honey Brook resident in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a young child in West Brandywine Township.
According to investigators, Drake Lease was taken into custody on July 21, 2025, following an investigation by the Chester County Detectives, with assistance from the City of Coatesville Police Department and West Brandywine Township Police.
Lease has been charged with Rape of a Child, Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse with a Child, and other related offenses. He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge J. Timothy Arndt and remanded to Chester County Prison on $750,000 cash bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 11, 2025.
The charges stem from a report received on July 20, when police were informed that a child had been sexually assaulted while staying overnight at a relative’s home. The victim was evaluated at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and detectives conducted interviews and collected evidence that led to Lease’s arrest.
In a statement, Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe called the allegations “gut-wrenching,” and said, “No child should be sexually assaulted in the middle of the night at a relative’s house. We will continue to work side by side with local law enforcement to swiftly apprehend defendants who prey on children.”
The Chester County Detectives are continuing the investigation. Anyone with information related to this case or the defendant is encouraged to contact detectives at 610-344-6866.
As with all criminal cases, it is important to remember that a suspect, arrestee, or defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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