A Delaware man has been charged with raping a girl he was supposed to be protecting.
A Union County Grand Jury has indicted Dwayne Allen Slone, 33, of 370 Eastwood Ave., Delaware. Slone is charged with five counts of rape, 15 counts of sexual battery, 12 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and one count each of gross sexual imposition, intimidation and possession of criminal tools.
According to court documents, between July and October 2017, Slone repeatedly raped and abused a then 14-year-old girl.
Union County Assistant Prosecutor Terry Hord said Slone was living with a male relative. Hord said the child was also related to the man.
“(The victim) visited there all the time,” Hord said.
He said that because of the relative’s physical condition, “where they were at in Pharrisburg, (Slone) was in charge.”
Court documents indicate Slone was acting, “in Loco Parentis,” which is a Latin phrase, used to describe someone who is acting in the place of a parent, often a school official or legal guardian.
“This is sad because of how the family trusted him,” Hord said. “They had no idea.”
Court documents that at times, the child was asleep when the sexual conduct began.
Additionally, documents allege Slone used “force or the threat of force” to compel the child to submit.
According to court documents, Slone would tell the girl that if she told anyone or if anyone found out, “she would be sent to a foster home and they would take her phone away.”
Prosecutors said that when the conduct came to the attention of responsible adults, the victim was taken to a local hospital and the matter was eventually referred to the Union County Sheriff’s Office. The matter was investigated in several counties. Defense attorneys argue that at least one of the counties deemed allegations to be unsubstantiated.
If convicted on all counts, he could be sentenced to more than 196 years in prison
Hord said prosecuting theses cases can be difficult, but worth it.
“We are all about protecting children and this conduct is unacceptable, in any form,” Hord said.
Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips stressed that parents need “be aware of who has access to your child.”
“I think there is a lot of situations where people see on television that this sort of stuff is done by strangers, in reality, especially with children, it is often the people who have access to them,” Phillips said.
He said parents need to talk with their children and be on the lookout for changes in behavior or attitude, beyond what is age appropriate.
Also indicted was:
– Luke James Kunkle, 24, of 133 Ottawa St., Richwood. Kunkle is charged with one count of felonious assault, stemming from an Aug 27 incident. If convicted, Kunkle could face as many as eight years in prison.
– Jamie Fitzpatrick, 39, whose court-listed address is the Ohio Reformatory for Women. Fitzpatrick has been charged with one count of felonious assault. According to court documents, on July 12, Fitzpatrick allegedly attacked another inmate, seriously injuring her.
Fitzpatrick is currently serving a four-year sentence for drug trafficking and tampering with evidence from Scioto County.