Franklin County deputy arrested on over 50 sex crime charges
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A Franklin County deputy is out of jail after being arrested on 58 felony charges, including 32 for rape.
According to a Franklin County Sheriff’s Office release, Circleville resident and deputy Charles Davis was arrested without incident Wednesday morning, 11 months after an investigation began into allegations of sexual assault crimes. The sheriff’s office said it was made aware of an investigation in Sept. 2023 by the U.S. Marshals Task Force in Ross County.
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The charges include 32 counts of rape and 26 counts of gross sexual imposition, according to Ross County Common Pleas Court records.
But an update to the docket Wednesday afternoon showed that Davis was released from jail on recognizance, meaning that he did not have to pay a cash bail to leave. The court record did note he was fitted with a GPS ankle monitor before release. A judge ordered him not to have any contact with minor children, other than his biological children, or the victim in the case.
The indictment showed that half of the 32 rape counts accused Davis of rape between March 1, 2020 and Aug. 7, 2021. In those 16 incidents, the victim was under 13 years old. The other half of the rape charges did not specify the victim’s age, but accused Davis of sexual conduct by force or threat of force from March 2022 to October 2022.
For the sexual imposition charges, the indictment listed a victim under 13 for 13 counts. The remaining charges also don’t specify the victim’s age.
Davis, 50, had no attorney on file as of 1 p.m.
“This is an extremely serious matter, and I have full faith in the investigation,” Sheriff Dallas Baldwin said. “We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of conduct and accountability. I want to reassure our citizens that we are dedicated to transparency, professionalism, and, as always, the safety of our community.”
The sheriff’s office said it will have no additional comments while the case against Davis is ongoing. An internal investigation is also in progress.
Court records indicate an indictment and warrant for Davis’ arrest were issued on July 26. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Aug. 26 at 2:45 p.m.
Davis was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Task Force. U.S. Marshal Michael Black with the Southern District of Ohio said that even though Davis is a law enforcement officer, it doesn’t change the marshals’ tactics, but it does change their awareness.
“It changes how we might approach this specific situation,” Black said. “One, if they’re current law enforcement officer, they’re traditionally going to have a weapon or several weapons. They’re well-trained. A law enforcement officer is more trained than the average fugitive that we’re going after. They might know us, they might know some of our tactics.”
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