Wading River man accused of rape held on $50,000 cash bail

Editor’s note: This story has been amended to reflect a clarification issued late Friday afternoon regarding the location of the alleged attack.

The Wading River man accused of attempted rape in Northampton Wednesday afternoon was remanded to the Suffolk County jail in lieu of $50,000 cash bail/$150,000 bond following his arraignment on two felony charges in Southampton Justice Court this morning.

Police say Richard K. Rause Jr., 30, held a gun to a woman’s head, punched her repeatedly and attempted to rape her behind at the Wildwood Town Park on Lake Avenue Wednesday at 2:15 p.m. After Rause was taken into custody at his Wading River home yesterday, he got out of a police vehicle and attempted to flee, police said. He was quickly apprehended by officers and now faces an additional felony escape charge in Riverhead Justice Court, where he is expected to be brought for arraignment at a later date.

Rause stood silently before Southampton Town Justice Edward Burke this morning clad in a Tyvek jump suit and slippers. His assigned counsel, a Legal Aid attorney, entered a plea of not guilty in his behalf.

Burke said he set bail at a high amount “due to the seriousness of the charges” and in light of the defendant’s attempt to flee from police after being handcuffed and placed into a police car.

Rause is next due back in Southampton Town court Jan. 21.

The defendant’s family members who attended this morning’s proceeding expressed shock at the charges levied against him.

“It’s just overwhelming,” a sister said. “It just doesn’t add up.”

“This is not the kind of person he is,” another sister said. “He’s a good kid, who loves his family,” she said, adding that she had just driven back from Florida with him for their father’s funeral. They returned to Long Island on the afternoon of the alleged attack, she said.

Rause works as a welder and has a 3-year-old son, according to his family.

His attorney waived a public reading of the charges against him and the court entered a confidential order of protection against Rause, prohibiting him from any contact with the alleged victim. Due to the nature of the charges, the victim’s identity is not being publicly disclosed, authorities said.

The sisters, who said they have not yet spoken with their brother, said they did not know if the alleged victim was someone their brother knows.

“We just don’t understand this,” one of the women, who broke down in tears, said outside the courthouse.
Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. By law, a person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.