Two Men Charged With Rape Of Child, DA Worries There Could Be More Victims

Two men have been charged with molesting minors, and authorities fear there could be more victims.

Louis Charles Aiello, 57, of Penndel Borough, arrested Tuesday afternoon and charged with rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 16 years of age, statutory sexual assault, indecent assault on a person less than 13 years of age, corruption of minors, and indecent assault on a person less than 16 years of age.

David Charles Hofmann, 60, of Bristol Township, has been charged with rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors, indecent assault on a person less than 13 years of age, and indent assault on a person less than 16 years of age.

While both Hofmann and Aiello shared a common victim, it was unclear if they knew each other. Both were friends of the shared victim’s family, District Attorney Matt Weintraub said.

“Our belief now is that they did not know each other,” he told reporters. 

This is the third arrest for similar charges this week. John Evans, a Levittown-area bus driver and youth sports official, was arraigned Tuesday on charges he abused boys, including a foster child.

In a press conference held on Wednesday afternoon, Weintraub reviewed the charges against the men and also touched on Evan’s case, which was unrelated but similar. He encouraged those who believe they have experienced or know someone who has experienced abuse by the men to contact investigators.

“I don’t believe in coincidences, but to have to report two cases of child predation at the same time is just awful to do,” said Weintraub. “One way the public can help stop this type of abuse is to report any suspicious behavior by an adult towards a child to Childline or to the police.”

Aiello’s first victim was a friend of his son whom he met in 2001. The assaults began that same year when the boy was 11 years old. Most of the assaults took place in Aiello’s Penndel Borough where he often brought by another male named “Bobby” and instructed the victim to “camp out” with Bobby and Aiello while performing and partaking in sexual acts. One of the assaults happened at the boy’s Falls Township residence, police said. 

Seven years later and the final assault occurred in 2007, when the boy was 17. The boy’s mother found a used condom in his room. When confronted about it by his parents after school, the boy confessed that he was being molested by his father’s friend, Aiello, police said. 

Aiello met his second victim in 2007 at a wedding where Aiello was DJ – he owns his own entertainment company that includes DJ services, karaoke, and live entertainment done by Aiello himself. This case of abuse by Ailello transpired between the years of 2008 to 2010, starting when the second boy was just fourteen years old and ending when he turned sixteen, police said. 

The first case of abuse began when the boy drove his dirt bike to Aiello’s house and injured himself. Aiello brought him inside the house to clean his wounds. At that time, Aiello took off the victim’s pants to tend to the wounds there and ended up sexually assaulting him, police said. 

Aiello’s neighbors in Penndel Borough said the 57-year-old man often had what appeared to be minor boys over his property and had in the past invited neighborhood boys into his home before being confronted by neighbors. 

Weintraub emphasized the importance of community members reporting suspicious behavior in cases such as this.

“One way the public can help, is to report any suspicious behavior by an adult towards a child. Report that to Childline, or the police,” the district attorney said. “If every person that saw suspicious activity at Mr. Aiello’s house had contacted us, maybe we wouldn’t be having this press conference right now, or we would have done so 5 years ago. I can’t say.” 

“Let us decide, let us investigate, let us run these down so that we can protect kids,” he added.

On Tuesday, investigators executed a search warrant on Aiello’s home. They did not state at the press conference what was recovered or if rumors of a “game room” for boys were substantiated.

Hofmann, like Aiello, met the shared victim through a family friend. He was often referred to as “Uncle Dave” and lived with the boy’s family during the twelve years of abuse, which ran from 1995 to 2007, police said. 

Hofmann’s alleged abuse often occurred at the boy’s residence. Hofmann would buy gifts for the boy so he would stay silent. In 2007, the boy revealed abuse at the hands of Hofmann to his family. Further, he recalled that another teen boy was also abused by Hofmann at the same time as him, according to police. 

The boy Hofmann is accused of abusing disclosed the incidents to his parents, but police were not alerted in 2007. However, the boy’s parents recorded a video conversation with the man where he discussed the abuse, police said, adding the video has been turned over to investigators.

The investigators looked into the boy’s parent’s involvement in the case, but according to Weintraub they were cleared of any wrongdoing. 

“That was certainly an aspect of our investigation that has not yielded any indication they were complicit, and frankly they appear to be ignorant in the whole thing,” he said.

At the end of the press conference, Weintraub expressed his concerns over further unidentified victims and urged them to come forward.

“I hope there are zero, but I fear that there are more that have not spoken up,” said Weintraub. “This is also a call for more victims to come forward, if you’re ready to do so. I don’t urge you, I don’t rush you, but we will protect you going forward.”

Hofmann was arrested and processed Wednesday morning, but he was taken to the hospital after complaining of not feeling well, authorities said. 

Aiello was arraigned Tuesday night and sent to the Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10 percent of $900,000. 

Hormann was arraigned Wednesday afternoon and jailed on 10 percent of $950,000.

Anyone who believes they have been victimized by Aiello or Hofmann, or believes they know someone who has been victimized has been asked to contact Falls Township Police Detective Stephen Reeves at 215-949-9100. Tips can also be submitted via the CRIMEWATCH website and to Falls Township Police at speakup@fallstwp.com.

The Aiello and Hofmann case was investigated by Falls Township and Penndel Borough police along with the Bucks County Detectives. 

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.

Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies

---

---