An Ohio man pleaded guilty Thursday to sexually assaulting seven children at an in-home daycare operated by his wife. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Gallia County Prosecuting Attorney Jason D. Holdren made the announcement Thursday.
Matthew Case, 43, from Rio Grande pleaded guilty Thursday afternoon to 10 counts of rape and six counts of gross sexual imposition. Authorities with the Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation Crimes Against Children Unit, Gallia County Sheriff’s Office, and FBI Columbus Child Exploitation Task Force arrested Case in April after two victims confided in an adult about the abuse.
Five more children, all females between the ages of 3 and 7, were discovered during the investigation. Prosecutors say the assaults happened at Case’s home between May 1, 2016, and April 12, 2017, while the children were at the residence attending daycare. Because the in-home daycare reportedly cared for fewer than six children at a time, it was not required to be licensed by the state of Ohio.
At the time of his arrest, Case was a volunteer firefighter. “My agents spoke with many parents who felt reassured by that fact that a firefighter lived at the in-home daycare, but this defendant was truly a predator in disguise,” said Attorney General DeWine. “Our big concern right now is that he may have victimized even more children over the years, and we encourage anyone with additional information on potential victims to contact law enforcement.”
Case will be sentenced May 25. Let’s root for life.
Read more at WDTN
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