An East Petersburg man was recently convicted of sexual assault and other charges for an attack last year on a Manheim Township woman.
A Lancaster County jury convicted 36-year-old William Lawrence Friday evening after a week-long trial before County Judge David Ashworth.
The jury returned guilty verdicts to counts of indecent assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, sexual assault, simple assault and unlawful restraint. Three of those charges are felonies.
Assistant District Attorney Susan Ellison presented evidence that Lawrence beat and sexually assaulted the woman Aug. 29 and 30, 2016, at her home on Louise Avenue.
However, the victim decided not to testify for the Commonwealth at trial. Ellison presented the victim’s previous statements about the attack.
The jury, after deliberating about five hours, decided the case Friday about 6 p.m.
“Due to the strength of the investigation led by Manheim Township police Detective Christopher Dissinger, we were able to proceed without the victim as our witness,” Ellison said after the verdict.
Lawrence, formerly of Northfield Drive, will be sentenced after a background check is completed in a couple months. At the verdict, Judge Ashworth raised Lawrence’s bail to $500,000.
He was found not guilty of rape and aggravated assault.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright