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Two men from rural state Route 534 north of the Mesopotamia Commons in Mesopotamia Township were in the Trumbull County jail Wednesday, set for arraignment today in Newton Falls Municipal Court on one count each of rape and four counts each of gross sexual imposition.
Robert Detweiler, 26, and Rudy Detweiler, 22, of the same address, could get about 10 years in prison if convicted of the rape charge. Each faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted of any gross sexual imposition charge.
The Trumbull County Sheriff's Office investigated allegations against the men following notification to the sheriff's office by an employee of Trumbull County Children's Services of a "possible sex offense," a sheriff's office police report states.
The offenses are alleged to have occurred between Aug. 12 and Aug. 18 and were reported Aug. 18, the report states. A deputy with the Trumbull County Sheriff's compiled a long report, but none of the narrative was made available to the public, only information such as the names of the suspects and the remark about Children's Services notifying the sheriff's office.
The rape charge on file against each man states that under the statute each man is charged under, it is illegal to engage in sexual conduct with another when the offender substantially impairs the other person's judgement or control by administering any drug, intoxicant or controlled substance to the other person by force, threat of force or deception.
It states that it is also illegal if the other person is less than 13 years of age or the other person's ability to resist is substantially impaired by a mental or physical condition or because of advanced age.
The statute listed in court records does not specify what aspects of that statute were allegedly violated.
Both men were arrested Monday, the same day the charges were filed. Both men have been in the Trumbull County jail since then. Bond is likely to be discussed at today's arraignment.
ANOTHER RAPE CHARGE
Meanwhile, Andrew A. Miller, 41, of Park Avenue in Bloomfield Township to the east of Mesopotamia Township, also was charged with rape recently. His charge was filed Aug. 18 in the same Newton Falls Municipal Court as the Detweilers.
It also was filed by the Trumbull County Sheriff's Office.
But Miller's rape charge accuses him of committing the offense in August 2006 -- 20 years ago. The charge Miller faces accuses him of engaging in sexual conduct with another when the offender purposely compels the other person to submit by force or threat of force.
Miller has been in the Trumbull County jail since Aug. 18 and was arraigned on the charge Aug. 20. He returns for a preliminary hearing in Newton Falls Municipal Court at 10:30 a.m. today.
Bond was set at $250,000 at his arraignment, and he was ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim.
A subpoena was issued for a deputy to appear for the hearing, presumably so he can testify if necessary to determine whether there is probable cause that an offense was committed and probable cause that Miller committed it. If there is probable cause, the case will be bound over to Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.
If Miller were to be convicted of the rape charge, he could get about 10 years in prison.
Unlike the report regarding the Detweilers, the report on Andrew Miller provides details on what is being alleged. It alleges that the victim was 14 or 15 years old.
The report states that a Trumbull County sheriff's deputy spoke with the alleged victim June 18. The location of the alleged offense was Penniman Road in Bloomfield Township, several miles from Miller's home.
The alleged victim told the deputy that Miller was 21 years old at the time of the incidents and that Miller raped her "multiple times over the span of a few of months."
She said it was "not forcible but coercive and she did not understand what was really going on at the time it was occurring." She said she became impregnated with her son.
She said when her parents found out about the rape, they reported it to Children's Services. "However, they never made a police report, as the Amish try to resolve things within their community, according to (the victim)," the report states. The sexual assault "stopped at this time as well," the report adds.
She said she came forward now because of concerns about a boy who sexually assaulted her daughter and "wants to make sure nothing like that is happening or ever happens to the children."
A second deputy interviewed the alleged victim several weeks later. The alleged victim said Miller was "still married to her sister at the time" of the incidents. She said she was 14 and 15 when incidents occurred.
She said after she became pregnant by Miller, her parents reported the incidents to Children's Services, and she was questioned by Children's Services, but "It was handed over to Amish, and the church was going to handle it."
MILLER INTERVIEW
The second deputy reached out to Andrew Miller and had him come to the Trumbull County Sheriff's Office on July 15 to speak to the deputy. Miller was read his rights and was told the conversation was being audio recorded.
Miller said he was married to the alleged victim's sister, and he agreed that the alleged victim is the mother of his son, the report states.
Miller said he "could not answer" some of the questions he was asked, such as how many times he had sex with the alleged victim, whether he was married at the time he had sex with her the first time and whether he knew how old the alleged victim was at the time he had sex with her.
He answered yes when asked whether sex with the alleged victim was consensual.