Several cases against a suspected serial rapist — including several in Butler County — are being consolidated and will be prosecuted in Beaver County.

Jonathan D. Vance, 31, of White Township, Beaver County, was set for a preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge Sue Haggerty, but the case was referred to the Beaver County prosecuting officials for consolidation.

Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier said Wednesday that state law allows district attorneys to refer cases to other counties for consolidation in matters involving the same defendant or course of conduct, such as is the case in this incident.

Investigators have located additional victims and filed more charges.

Lozier said 12 cases have now been filed against Vance in Beaver and Butler counties, with possibly more on the way.

He said a preliminary hearing will be held in the future on all the cases, and has yet to be scheduled.

“This is a very complex case, with so many victims, so many locations and so many dates,” Lozier said. “My office and my detectives have worked very well with the state police in Beaver, Lawrence and Troop D in Butler regarding these cases. This is a real team effort.”

He is being held in Beaver County Jail on a combined bail of nearly $2.5 million, according to Beaver County Jail records personnel.