A Dunkirk man has been taken into custody on multiple counts of rape. Chautauqua County Sheriff’s deputies say they were called to reports of a crime in progress in Forestville at about 3:30 AM Wednesday and located a vehicle occupied by a juvenile and 44-year-old Vernal Carpenter. After further investigation, the Sheriff’s office determined that Carpenter and the juvenile allegedly engaged in several instances of sexual contact — not only on Wednesday, but also on other dates. Carpenter was charged with four counts of 2nd-degree rape and was transported to the Chautauqua County Jail for centralized arraignment. He will answer the charges in Chautauqua County Supreme Court at a later date.
Photo by the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office
