By Craig Anderson

GREENWOOD -— Darren Gingerich, 52, of Greenwood, was arrested on numerous counts of sexual abuse and assault following an investigation that began earlier this week, authorities said.

Delaware State Police spokesman Senior Cpl. Leonard DeMalto said that on Monday afternoon an 18-year-old woman went to Troop 5 and alleged she had been threatened by Mr. Gingerich the previous day.

Detectives determined that Mr. Gingerich had been at an event with the woman when he forced her to leave early. Once they left, police said, Mr. Gingerich took her cell phone and drove her to an isolated location.

The woman tried to exit the car, police said, but Mr. Gingerich pointed a handgun at her and threatened to kill her.

According to Cpl. DeMalto, Mr. Gingerich eventually drove the woman back to her home, and when he left she went to Troop 5 to report the incident.

While the woman was at Troop 5, troopers were dispatched to Mr. Gingerich’s residence on Hunters Cove Road in Greenwood regarding a house fire. Firefighters from the Greenwood Volunteer Fire Company extinguished the flames, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal responded to investigate.

The State Fire Marshal determined that Mr. Gingerich had intentionally set his residence on fire, and EMS personnel had taken Mr. Gingerich to the hospital for medical treatment.

Once the fire was extinguished, troopers secured the residential scene. On Tuesday, police said, detectives from the Criminal Investigations Unit executed a search warrant on the home and recovered several firearms. Gingerich was released from the hospital later that day.

Mr. Gingerich was charged with possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony, second-degree kidnapping, aggravated menacing, terroristic threatening and malicious interference with emergency communications. He was also charged with second-degree arson by the Delaware State Fire Marshal.

During arraignment by Justice of the Peace Court 2 Mr. Gingerich was given a $97,200 cash bond.

As investigation into Mr. Gingerich’s past interactions with the victim, detectives determined that he had allegedly sexually and physically abused the female since she was 8-years-old.

Charges against Mr. Gingerich included second-degree rape (three counts), second-degree attempted rape, continuous sexual abuse of a child, first-degree unlawful sexual contact (four counts), providing obscenity material to a juvenile, second-degree unlawful sexual contact (two counts), and second-degree sexual abuse of a person of trust.

Mr. Gingerich was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2 and remains incarcerated at Sussex Correctional Institution on an additional $361,000 cash bond, police said.