Somerset Man Guilty in Rape Case

A 37-year-old Somerset man will serve life in prison without parole after being found guilty by jurors in Muskingum County.

After three days of testimony the jury found the defendant guilty on seven counts of rape and eight counts gross sexual imposition, all carrying sexually violent predator specifications.

The charges involved two children and took place over several years. The Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office is not releasing the name of the defendant to shield the victims from further trauma.

The investigation began in Perry County in 2019 when one of the children disclosed that she was being sexually abused.

Both children disclosed that some of the incidents occurred in the Philo area. Since offenses occurred in both Muskingum and Perry Counties, the decision was made to proceed with all the charges in Muskingum County.