'A very disturbing case.' Portage man charged with 110 sex felonies involving 8 juveniles
A Streetsboro man now faces 110 felony counts, including rape, in connection with alleged sexual misconduct with eight juveniles during a span of nearly 20 years.
David L. James III, 57, was arraigned on new indictments, including child pornography possession, in Portage County Common Pleas Court on Friday. Judge Becky Doherty had already ordered that James be held without bond from an earlier indictment. Authorities have not said how James knew the victims.
James Eskridge, James' attorney, declined to comment.
Earlier coverage: Streetsboro man held on $500,000 bond for alleged rape of girl, now 8
Portage County Prosecutor Victor Vigluicci said Friday that the new indictment replaces an earlier grand jury indictment, filed March 31, which included 26 felony counts and two misdemeanors in connection with three alleged victims.
"Since then the investigation has widened and continued, resulted in a number of search warrants in obtaining some digital and video evidence in the continuing investigation," said Vigluicci, adding the investigation is not finished.
"Obviously a very disturbing case and Streetsboro PD has done a good job in working on it," he said. "My investigators here and my prosecutors have been working with the mountain of evidence that they've uncovered as a result of these search warrants. And we'll continue to see if there are any additional victims."
Streetsboro police have said that allegations against James first came to their attention in early March.
James is now charged with 23 counts of first-degree felony rape, 47 counts of second-degree felony pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, 12 counts each of gross sexual imposition and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, all third-degree felonies, and 16 counts of fourth-degree felony pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor.
The rape and gross sexual imposition charges all come with violent sexual predator specifications. The pandering charges included 36 counts connected to a specific victim and 27 counts with no victim specified.
The victims include four males and four females, all juveniles at the time of the alleged offenses against them. They ranged in age from 7 to 17 at the time of the incidents, which took place from July 2004 to March this year.
James was booked into Portage County Jail on March 27 with a $750,000 bond initially set. Doherty subsequently ordered that he be held without bond.
A jury trial scheduled for this Tuesday has been continued, with no new date set.
Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: 'A very disturbing case.' Portage man charged with 110 sex felonies
