Sex offender accused of raping girlfriend's daughter

CORAOPOLIS — A 47-year-old convicted sex offender who is now accused of raping his girlfriend’s mentally handicapped daughter beginning eight years ago was released from jail Tuesday after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing.Jimmy Dale Doughty of Aliquippa is charged with rape, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, indecent exposure, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors.

According to a complaint filed by Moon Township police, Doughty began assaulting the girl, then 11, in her home in Moon in June 2000.According to the complaint, Doughty — whom the girl’s mother says she met on a telephone date line — was inappropriately touching the girl between the ages of 11 and 13. After the girl’s 13th birthday, Doughty began exposing himself and having intercourse with her, police allege.

Because of the nature of the charges, the now 19-year-old woman and her family are not being identified.The young woman has said Doughty threatened to kill her if she told her mother, police said, but she came forward with her story in November after her mother and Doughty broke up.Moon Township police Detective Dale Grant said Doughty has past sexual assault convictions and might have sexually assaulted the 19-year-old’s brother.

Grant said Doughty is not a registered sex offender because he was convicted before the enactment of Megan’s Law, which requires sex offenders to register with police.Grant said the department is investigating whether the boy was sexually assaulted.Grant said a deal was reached beforehand that if Doughty waived his right to a hearing, District Judge Mary Murray would release him from jail on his promise to appear at future hearings and to have no contact with the family.

Doughty had been held in the Allegheny County jail on $50,000 bond since his arrest Dec. 19.The decision to release him upset the family, who yelled and screamed as he left court.The mother, who cried in front of television cameras, said she wanted people to see the impact of Murray’s decision.“I feel like justice failed,” she said.