A twice convicted child sex offender could spend the rest of his life in prison.
A Union County jury recently convicted Charles Calvin York, 49, of 109 Papaya Dr., Marysville, of two counts of rape involving a child and three counts of gross sexual imposition.
YORK
Following four days of testimony by 18 witnesses, 16 for the prosecution and two for the defense, it took the jury of seven men and five women less than two hours to return the guilty verdict to visiting judge Mark S. O’Connor in Union County Common Pleas Court.
“The victims were very pleased,” said Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips. “This has dragged on for quite some time now so the victims are pleased and relieved.”
While Charles York did not testify in his own defense, his brother, Jeff York, and his sister-in-law, Sheri York, did. Jeff and Sherri York testified against Charles York as part of a plea agreement they made in the cases against them for allowing Charles York to be around their children.
In April 2017, the Union County Department of Job and Family Services (DJFS) opened a civil investigation into Jeff and Sheri York.
During that investigation, officials determined Charles York was acting inappropriately with children in the care of his brother and sister-in-law.
DJFS gave the information to the Union County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators determined that between 2010 and 2017, Charles York repeatedly raped and had sexual conduct with three children. According to court documents, the youngest of the children was 7-years-old when the alleged abuse began.
Phillips said that because of the age of the children, “essentially they were unable to resist.”
Phillips said investigators also determined that Jeff and Sheri York “had knowledge and they failed to protect them.”
Jeff York threatened his wife in an effort to keep her from truthfully reporting what she knew.
In 2016, Charles York pleaded no contest to one count of sexual imposition. In exchange, prosecutors dismissed a charge of illegal restraint. In that case, Charles York held the child down and fondled her. As a result of that conviction, Charles York was sentenced to 90 days in jail, though all 90 were suspended. He was also fined $500 with $350 suspended.
At that time, Charles York was ruled a Tier 1 Sexual Offender and ordered to have no contact with the child.
Now, Charles York is facing the possibility of a life sentence and prosecutors are asking for him to be labeled as a sexually violent predator.
Charles York is set to be sentenced May 12. Phillips said his sentencing recommendation will depend on what happens at the sexual predator hearing.
As part of their agreements, Jeff York pleaded guilty to three counts of endangering children and one count of witness intimidation and Sheri York pleaded guilty to three counts of endangering children. Neither has been sentenced yet.
In addition to the sexual imposition conviction, Charles York has multiple disorderly conduct-related convictions as well as convictions for illegal hunting and for providing alcohol to minors.