A Marysville man could be facing up to two decades in prison after allegedly raping and having sexual contact with a child on multiple occasions.
The Union County Grand Jury has indicted Michael Scott Chute, 60, of 323 S. Maple St., charging him with one count of rape and two counts of gross sexual imposition.
Court documents indicate the abuse took place between April 2014 and April 2016, while the child was between 6 and 8 years old.
Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips said the victim was a relative. He said the child, “was allegedly sexually assaulted by him in a couple different ways.”
The prosecutor said that recently the child began “having some problems.” The child was talking with an adult and “revealed what had happened to her.”
Marysville Division of Police investigated and Phillips said “the evidence supports the charge.”
Phillips added there are “other allegations by a non-family member, but there was not the evidence to move forward.”
The prosecutor has said that “anytime a child is a victim, it is a tragic case,” stressing the need to “protect the child and hold the defendant accountable.”
Phillips said it is not unusual for allegations like this to take years before they come to light.
“Obviously, when you have a child that young, sometimes it doesn’t come out until that child is a little older and better able to communicate,” Phillips said.
Additionally, Phillips said it can be difficult to prosecute a case with a child victim. He said children often “don’t fully understand the concept of time.”
He said that interviewers try to use life and annual milestones like birthdays or holidays to help a child identify when something happened.
If convicted, Chute could face as many as 20 years in prison.
Also indicted was:
– Robert Allan Wolford, 38, of 310 Buerger St., Marysville.
Wolford is charged with one count each of theft from a person in a protected class, failing to provide for a functionally impaired person and identity fraud. According to court documents, Wolford was to be caring for his elderly, blind mother.
Phillips said family members contacted the Union County Department of Job and Family Services’ Adult Protective Services, which contacted the Marysville Division of Police. As part of that investigation, officials found the woman living in what they termed as “squalid” conditions.
“She wasn’t being taken care of and in looking at the pictures, squalid is an accurate description,” Phillips said.
He explained that the woman was in soiled clothes and that, “her nutritional needs were also not being met.”
Investigators determined that over the course of more than five years, Wolford allegedly used his mother’s identity to steal thousands of dollars from the woman’s bank account.
If convicted on all counts, Wolford could face as many as eight years in prison.
– Caleb Z. Parish, 32, of 128 E. Ottawa St., Richwood. Parish is charged with one count of failure to appear as required by recognizance.
In October, Parish was charged with one count of receiving stolen property. According to court documents, on Aug. 18, Parish was found with a dirt bike that had been reported stolen. Parish lives with his mother and the bike was in the detached garage of that house.
On Oct. 27, Parish signed a recognizance bond, which allowed him out of jail, but under that the promise that he would appear any time the court called for him.
On Dec. 14, Parish was set for an online pretrial hearing. Parish did not participate in the hearing and his attorney, Cliff Valentine, said he has had no contact with the defendant. At the time, visiting judge Mark S. O’ Connor issued a warrant for Parish’s arrest.
Phillips said that because the recognizance is a promissory note to appear, failure to honor it is a felony.
Parish has a lengthy criminal history for theft and other theft related offenses.
If convicted, Parish could face as mans as 18 months in prison on the failure to appear indictment and 18 months in prison on the theft charge.
– San B. Rai, 22, of Cleveland Heights. Rai is charged with one count of vandalism stemming from an alleged event Jan. 12 at Midwest Molding Inc.
If convicted, Rai could face as many as 12 months in prison.
– Johnny N. Boggs, 33, of 11480 U.S. 36, Lot 114, Marysville. Boggs is charged with one count of tampering with evidence stemming from a Jan. 5, incident.
In September, Boggs was indicted on one count each of burglary, possessing criminal tools and petty theft. Boggs was arraigned on the charge in September and released after posting a $15,000 bond. In November, the Union County Grand Jury indicted Boggs on one charge of falsification to purchase a firearm after he allegedly went to a local retailer to buy a gun and completed the background check form indicating he was not under indictment.
In October, Boggs tested positive for marijuana, methamphetamine, Buprenorphine and amphetamine. Boggs admitted the bond violation and the bond was reinstated. In January, according to court documents, Boggs was scheduled to take a court-ordered drug test. He allegedly brought a latex glove, filled with clean urine, to the test and tried to use it to pass the drug test. After he was caught, he was tested and allegedly tested positive for drugs.
Boggs’ September indictment stems from an Aug. 25 incident when he allegedly went to another trailer in the park and used a tool to pry the door open.
If convicted on the tampering with evidence charge, Boggs could face as many as five years in prison in addition to a potential year in prison for the gun charge and more than nine years in prison on the burglary and related charges, if convicted.