Cooperstown man gets 10-20 years for rape

A Cooperstown man convicted earlier this year of rape and other charges has been sentenced to serve 10 to 20 years in state prison.

The sentence was handed down last week to Keith Wayne Moore, 44, by Venango County President Judge Oliver J. Lobaugh.

Jurors found Moore guilty after a two-day trial in January of rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors, indecent assault of a person less than 13 and indecent assault of a person less than 16.

He was found not guilty by the jury of four other charges.

Moore was sentenced to 10 to 20 years on the rape charge and then given prison terms that will run concurrently with the rape sentence of 2 to 10 years on the statutory sexual assault charge, 1 to 7 years on the corruption of minors charge and 9 months to 5 years on the indecent assault-person less than 13 charge.

His sentence on the indecent assault less than 16 charge was merged with the indecent assault less than 13 charge.

Moore was arrested in December 2014 by Franklin state police for engaging in a sexual relationship with a 12-year-old girl over a three-month period in 2013.

Moore began the relationship with the girl in August 2013 when she was 12, state police trooper Brian K. O’Toole had said.

The girl told police her relationship with Moore started with holding hands and kissing. O’Toole said the girl told him the acts then escalated to a more physical and sexual relationship.

The relationship ended in November 2013 after Moore reportedly had sex with the girl at his home, O’Toole said.

Venango County district attorney Shawn White prosecuted the case before Lobaugh.