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Philly teacher charged with raping family member for 8 years

When Sumo Dukulah began to work for the district, he had been raping a young relative for years, authorities alleged.

Sumo Dukulah, 39, was charged with raping a family member for more than eight years. The assaults began when the child was 8 years old and continued until the child was 16 years old, police say.
Sumo Dukulah, 39, was charged with raping a family member for more than eight years. The assaults began when the child was 8 years old and continued until the child was 16 years old, police say.Read more
    by REGINA MEDINA
    Published 

WHEN Sumo Dukulah began to work for the school district in November 2011, he had been raping a young relative for years, authorities alleged yesterday.

Dukulah, 39, a teacher at L.P. Hill Elementary School in Strawberry Mansion, was charged with raping a family member for eight years, the District Attorney's Office announced.

The cruel acts began when the child was 8 years old and continued until the victim was 16, the D.A.'s Office said.

Dukulah was arrested Thursday by detectives with the Police Department's Special Victims Unit.

Dukulah was charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault and several other offenses. At his arraignment early yesterday, bail was set at $500,000 and he was ordered to surrender his passport.

Dukulah says on his Facebook page that he graduated from Drexel University in 2010, after having attended some college and high school in Liberia.

Tasha Jamerson, a spokeswoman for the D.A.'s Office, would not provide an address for Dukulah, but did say he lived in Philadelphia.

SVU Capt. John Darby said "there's no evidence that this [criminal behavior] carried over to the school."

Police urge anyone with information on Dukulah to call 215-685-3251. Dukulah is expected to appear in court again May 15.