Upper Darby man acquitted of raping a child at his mother’s daycare

A Delaware County judge dismissed rape charges against a former county park police officer, saying the victim’s recollection of the decade-old assaults she alleged was inconsistent with other evidence.

William McGrath IV, 31, was acquitted of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and related crimes after a brief hearing Tuesday before Delaware County Court Judge Margaret J. Amoroso.

“This was no easy decision,” the judge said in announcing her ruling. “I believe the sincerity of the victim’s testimony. However, coupled with the reports from experts, along with some of the other witnesses, it did cause — unfortunately or fortunately — some reasonable doubt.”

McGrath’s family let out a collective sigh of relief after the verdict was handed down, and outside the courtroom, some locked in tight embraces.

The case began in May 2024, when a woman, now 21, contacted Upper Darby police and told them McGrath had repeatedly raped her when she was 5 years old and attended a daycare his mother ran out of their home.

McGrath vehemently denied the accusations.

His lawyer, Michael Noone, said Tuesday that he welcomed the judge’s finding of not guilty.

“We have denied these allegations from the very beginning and this has been a hellish experience for him,” Noone said.

At a one-day bench trial last week, the woman testified that McGrath lured her to the basement of the home out of which his mother operated Miss Barb’s Daycare with the promise of playing video games, and then assaulted her. Other times, she said, he abused her in the living room, episodes she said were sometimes interrupted when people walked in.

She kept the abuse secret for years, she said, out of fear and shame, but finally told her parents last year, when they made plans to invite McGrath’s parents to a family barbecue.

“I felt bad for my mom, because she put the trust of her only daughter in the hands of someone else” with devastating consequence, the woman said.

Noone said it was unlikely such assaults could have gone undiscovered in such a small space.

And one of McGrath’s brothers testified that the basement where the woman said she was raped was used as storage and suggested there was no space for such assaults to occur.

“The devil is in the details,” Noone told the judge. “And in this case, the details indicate not only that this didn’t happen, but that this really, physically, is highly unlikely to even be possible to happen.”

In a statement, McGrath’s family said the last year has been difficult for them, and they questioned why the district attorney’s office pursued a case that they said had no merit.

“While we are relieved that the truth has been revealed, we also hope that the woman involved gets the help and support she clearly needs,” the family said. “Our family believes in compassion, healing, and accountability — for everyone involved.“