Ferguson Township man sentenced to state prison for rape

A Centre County man has been sentenced to at least 15 years in Pennsylvania state prison for the repeated rape of a teenage girl.

Victor Acevedo-Gerena, 37, of Ferguson Township, was sentenced Monday by Centre County Judge Katie Oliver to a maximum of 30 years in prison.

About four dozen charges were dropped as part of his plea agreement, but Acevedo-Gerena must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life as he was found by the court to be a sexually violent predator.

He pleaded guilty in November 2024 to felony counts of rape, sexual abuse of children, as well as misdemeanor counts of theft and tampering with evidence.

Photos, videos, and 275 text messages between Acevedo-Gerena and his accuser supported her claims from March 2024.

The 11-page document detailed accusations of rape, oral sex, digital penetration, and groping. Acevedo-Gerena was also accused of sending sexually explicit videos of himself to the girl.

She described years of grooming, which started with groping and digital penetration. The teen girl indicated that Acevedo-Gerena implied he was training to be a masseuse, according to Ferguson police.

She then told investigators the abuse escalated to include forced oral sex and intercourse. A township police detective said Acevedo-Gerena coerced her using a series of threats and bribes.

During an interview, police said Acevedo-Gerena denied having intercourse with anyone, but admitted to more than a dozen sexual encounters - including oral sex and digital penetration. Acevedo-Gerena said he quote, “did something stupid that he is not proud of,” according to Ferguson police.

Last year, Acevedo-Gerena was charged with 48 felonies, including rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, statutory sexual assault, photographing child sexual acts and intercepting communications. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of indecent assault.

When confronted about the current allegations, police said Acevedo-Gerena stole the child’s cell phone, discarded it, and fled.

Gavin Rollman is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email gmr5526@psu.edu.