A New York man will serve up to 27 years in a state correctional institution with lifetime sex offender registration after pleading no contest to raping and assaulting a female then repeatedly calling her from prison in attempts to intimidate her from testifying.

Walter Dolder, 37, of Milton, New York, was sentenced to 11-27 years by Judge Howard Knisely on Monday, September 20 on charges including Rape, Aggravated Assault, Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse by Forcible Compulsion, and Intimidation of Victim. Dolder will also have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

In July 2020, police were dispatched to a residence in Mount Joy for a domestic in progress. Once police arrived, the victim came out of the residence and said Dolder had been present before he ran out the back door. Dolder was apprehended after a lengthy foot pursuit.

The victim told officers that Dolder had raped and assaulted her then held a knife and screwdriver to her face and neck threatening to kill her if she contacted police.

Mount Joy Borough police officer Kyle Hosking filed charges; Assistant District Attorney Amy Muller prosecuted the case.

ADA Muller argued for a significant sentence as the defendant violated a no-contact order at the time of the charges and continued to violate that prohibition after his arrest by incessantly contacting the victim in an effort to not have the victim testify.