A Shalersville man will spend 20 years in prison after he accepted a plea deal Aug. 26 in a case involving sexual abuse of two pre-teen girls.
William Rinehart Jr., 64, pleaded guilty to rape and two counts each of endangering children and gross sexual imposition in Portage County Common Pleas Court. According to the Portage County Prosecutor’s Office, the plea came late in the morning on Aug. 26, just before Rinehart’s trial was to begin.
Judge Laurie J. Pittman immediately sentenced Rinehart to 20 years in prison. Other charges were dismissed in the plea deal.
Jury selection had begun earlier in the morning, and attorneys’ opening statements were expected in the afternoon.
Some charges in a grand jury indictment and a supplemental indictment involve one girl, including rape, with incidents taking place between January 2105 and January 2018. Other charges involved a second girl, with incidents taking place between August 2012 and August 2015. Each girl was between the ages of 6 and 9 during the respective time periods.
The Portage County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation after an unidentified female made a “sex offense report” in December 2023, according to a sheriff’s incident report. Rinehart is not named in the report, but it provides his Weaver Road address as the location of at least some offenses.
According to the media release, Rinehart gained access to the girls through a relative. They would sometimes stay at his home, were from different families and did not know each other. He showed both girls pornography and molested them, which uiltimately led to the rape of the younger girl, the release says.
Rinehart’s attorneys could not immediately be reached by phone for comment.
“As prosecutor, I want to commend the incredible bravery of two young victims who came forward to share what they endured at the hands of the defendant in 2012 and 2015,” Portage County Prosecutor Connie Lewandowski said in a release. “Their strength in confronting such painful experiences has ensured justice was served. Child sex abuse leaves lasting scars, and while no sentence can erase trauma, this conviction sends a clear message − our office will relentlessly pursue those who exploit children, and we will stand firmly with the survivors every step of the way.”
Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Shalersville man gets 20 years after admitting sex abuse of 2 young girls
Reporting by Jeff Saunders, Ravenna Record-Courier / Record-Courier
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
