Former Marine accused of child rape waives preliminary hearing
Prosecutors drop three charges in case lodged against Uniontown native Brandon Rumbaugh
Rumbaugh Courtesy of WPXI
A Marine and Uniontown native accused of having intercourse with a 13-year-old waived his case to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas after prosecutors agreed to drop three of the charges lodged against him.
Brandon Rumbaugh, 36, of Pleasant Hills, struggled to get seated in the small, crowded district courtroom early Wednesday morning. The double-leg amputee wore two sets of handcuffs attached to crutches and was surrounded by several uniformed officers during the brief proceeding, during which he quietly answered “Yes, sir” or “No, sir” to the questions posed by the district judge.
Rumbaugh, who lost both legs in an IED blast in Afghanistan in 2010, allegedly had sex with the teenage girl on at least four occasions in April, and purchased alcohol for her once. Police said he had known the girl since she was 10.
Prosecutors agreed to drop charges of unlawful contact with a minor, sexual assault and aggravated indecent assault, and Rumbaugh waived charges of rape, statutory sexual assault, child endangerment, corruption of minors, furnishing liquor to a minor and three counts of indecent assault.
David Shrager, Rumaugh’s defense attorney, said he and his client are focused on preparing for trial. When asked if others had come forward to accuse Rumbaugh of wrongdoing, Shrager said he had “not seen any evidence of that.”
Rumbaugh has been in Allegheny County jail since he was arrested on May 21. The district judge who arraigned him denied bail citing concerns that he poses a threat to the alleged victim, witnesses and the community.
On Wednesday, Shrager told reporters Rumbaugh’s disability has presented some challenges.
“Being in jail is difficult for anyone, especially when you’re a double amputee, but the jail is doing its best to accommodate him,” Shrager said.
After his return from Afghanistan, Rumbaugh was an outspoken advocate for veterans, at one point camping in a tent in the Gen. George C. Marshall Memorial Plaza in Uniontown to raise awareness for homeless veterans. In 2014, he was gifted a custom-built, adaptive home in Uniontown provided by the nonprofit Homes for Our Troops.
In a 2023 interview with a reporter for the TikTok成人版, Rumbaugh said he was traveling nationally and internationally as a motivational speaker, talking about overcoming challenges and advocating for veterans issues.
District Judge Michael W. Thatcher set an arraignment date for Aug. 7 in the Allegheny Court of Common Pleas.
Allegheny County prosecutors did not return a call for comment.