Man Charged With Attempted Rape

A Scott man faces rape charges after township police said he fondled and attempted to have sex with a teenage girl on several occasions over three years.

Scott police Sgt. Jeffrey Skees said Christopher Pancari fondled or attempted to rape the girl on 10 occasions between September 2007 and this January. The girl, whose name was not released to protect her identity, was younger than 16 for some of the alleged encounters.

Pancari, 43, was charged on July 27 with two counts each of rape, aggravated indecent assault, attempted rape, indecent assault and one count each of endangering the welfare of a child and corruption of minors. He is free on $125,000 bond and has a preliminary hearing before District Judge Gary Zyra scheduled for Aug. 11.

According to the criminal complaint supporting the arrest, Pancari attempted to have sex with the girl on two separate occasions, but “her adrenaline was so high that she was able to fight him off.”

Police said it was only recently when the girl, who is now 18, felt comfortable enough to come to investigators and tell them her story.

Scott police also charged Pancari’s girlfriend, Leanne Berarducci, 40, of Scott, with child endangerment because investigators think she knew the incidents were occurring but did not come forward to police. Her preliminary hearing is also set for Aug. 11.