Sex offender registrant accused of raping girl

By Joe Beck

A convicted sex offender faces new charges in Shenandoah County Circuit Court accusing him of raping and sodomizing a four-year-old girl.

Richard Owen Keller, 36, whose address was listed as 481 Stover Ave., Strasburg in the state sex offender registry, is also charged with using an inanimate object for sexual penetration and eight counts of failing to register as a sex offender.

Shenandoah County authorities said Friday that state police arrested Keller earlier this month after he was indicted and failed to appear in court. They said he has remained in jail without bond since then.

Commonwealth's Attorney Amanda Wiseley said she was withholding further information about the allegations against Keller until later court proceedings.

Online court records list the date of Keller's alleged offenses as March 23. The alleged failures to report as a sex offender span a period from Aug. 7, 2011 to June 15, 2012.

The state police's sex offender registry states that Keller was convicted of indecent assault and aggravated indecent assault on May 12, 2000 in Blair County Circuit Court in Pennsylvania. The victim in both cases was a child, according to the registry.

Keller initially appeared on the Virginia sex offender list on March 14, 2005, according to the registry. The registry classifies him as a violent offender.

Sex offenders classified as violent are required to re-register with the state police every 90 days after their initial registration.

Contact staff writer Joe Beck at 540-465-5137 ext. 142, or jbeck@nvdaily.com