New charges for ex-trooper accused of sexually assaulting 6
EATON, Ohio (AP) — A former Ohio state trooper accused of sexually assaulting motorists is facing additional charges after more people have come forward.
Former trooper Christopher Ward is accused of sexually assaulting five people while he was on the job and a sixth person who is a minor, according to court records.
He's now charged with five counts of gross sexual imposition and two sexual battery counts after a grand jury on Monday came back with another indictment, the Ohio Attorney General's Office said.
Ward, a former state trooper from Eaton, initially was charged in February over allegations of inappropriate sexual contact with an adult in 2015 and a minor in 2018. He pleaded not guilty to those charges.
A message seeking comment was left Monday for Ward's attorney, who earlier said that he filed a grievance with the patrol after Ward was fired in February.
He could face up to life in prison if he's convicted on all the counts.
WHIO-TV in Dayton reported that the latest charges involve incidents that were reported to have happened between the end of 2011 and December 2012.
Ward was the subject of three different internal investigations by the patrol, including one involving a 2015 traffic stop and search of a woman that later led to criminal charges against him, the station reported.
He denied that he touched the woman for sexual gratification when he searched her during a traffic stop. Ward was not disciplined by the patrol and instead ordered to undergo training following that investigation.
