Marion County man charged with 7 counts of rape

Andrew Carter, Marion Star
·2 min read
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A Marion County man is facing multiple rape charges involving children, according to a joint press release issued by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Marion County Sheriff Matt Bayles.

Michael Ray Stith, age 49, Prospect, was indicted on March 15 in Marion County Common Pleas Court. Marion County sheriff's deputies arrested Stith at his workplace on March 15, according to Capt. Ryan Zempter of the Marion County Sheriff's Office. Zempter said he could not release any further information because the investigation is still in progress.

Stith was charged with seven counts of rape, first-degree felonies, in an indictment that was unsealed on Monday. The charges specify the victim(s) were less than 13 years old.

According to the indictment, Stith allegedly engaged in sexual conduct with a 12-year-old child during a period of time ranging from Jan. 1, 1997, to Dec. 31, 1998. The first three counts of rape apply to this alleged victim, according to the indictment.

Counts four and five of the indictment allege that Stith engaged in sexual conduct with a child younger than age 13 during a period of time ranging from June 20, 2011, to June 20, 2013.

Counts six and seven of the indictment alleged that Stith engaged in sexual conduct with a child younger than age 13 during a time period ranging from July 27, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2022. According to the indictment, these actions allegedly occurred in Crawford County.

The case, investigated by the attorney general's office as well as the Marion County sheriff's office, remains an active investigation. Detectives believe there may be additional victims with information about Stith, who has connections to Marion and Crawford counties.

Stith is being held at the Multi-County Correctional Center in Marion, according to jail records. Bond was set at $500,000.

Online records maintained by the Marion County Clerk of Courts show that the case has been assigned to Common Pleas Court Judge Matthew P. Frericks. Records indicate that no additional court dates have been scheduled for Stith at this time.

Anyone with information about Stith and these allegations is asked to contact the Marion County Sheriff's Office at 740-382-8244 ext. 5114, or the BCI at 1-855-224-6446.

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion County man charged with 7 counts of rape