Philadelphia house of horrors survivor speaks out on 2009 encounter

Ashley Rivera, now 26, has shared details regarding her 2009 encounter with Raymond “RC” Horsch, the man at the center of a major Philadelphia investigation involving a “house of horrors.” Rivera stated she was nine years old when Horsch attempted to lure her into his vehicle outside a 7-Eleven in the Kensington neighborhood.

Rivera escaped the encounter after her stepfather, who was using crutches at the time, heard her screams and intervened by striking Horsch’s Jeep window. Horsch, who died last year at age 82, was later linked to investigations involving over one million digital files, including alleged snuff movies and footage of women, and has been connected to at least seven missing women cases.

While Horsch was initially sentenced in 2010 for luring a child and corrupting the morals of a minor, the conviction was vacated in 2015 after prosecutors determined they could not proceed without the testimony of the key witness. Rivera’s mother, Sasha Rivera, noted that the decision to not testify again was driven by fears for their safety.