An Upper Providence Man Who Previously Pleaded Guilty To Child Sex Abuse Withdraws Plea

UPPER PROVIDENCE, PA — A local man who had previously pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a girl who was under 13 years of age between the years of 2003 and 2009 has withdrawn that guilty plea and will now face trial in the case starting next week, according to media reports and court records.

Richard Alan Beener, Sr., of the Mont Clare section of Upper Providence Township, is being charged with various felony counts of child rape and sexual assault stemming from his alleged abuse of a young girl during a years-long period.

Upper Providence Police announced charges against Beener in January 2019, stating that authorities were contacted by the victim who pegged Beener as her abuser.

The case dates back to the fall of 2018, when police first began investigating the allegations of abuse, according to the Upper Providence Police Department.

On Jan. 8, 2019, detectives executed a search warrant at Beener's residence and Beener ultimately surrendered to authorities without incident, police previously reported.

Court records show that this past summer, Beener entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to two felony counts of child rape.

The Pottstown Mercury newspaper, citing a police criminal complaint, reported that the victim was between the ages of 6 and 12 when the alleged abuse occurred.

The newspaper's report stated that the alleged abuse included various sexual acts, inappropriate touching, the promise of toys or gifts, and showing the girl pornographic videos.

News reports said that under the original plea deal Beener could have faced between 20 and 40 years in prison.

The court docket sheet in the case shows that a jury trial had originally been scheduled to start Jan. 27, but that that trial was cancelled and a bench trial was instead scheduled, which will begin on Feb. 1 before Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas Rogers.

Beener currently remains free on bail pending his trial.