Trial begins for Carlisle man charged in child sex crimes

More WARREN COUNTY — than a year after he was indicted on 18 charges of having sexual contact with three young girls, the trial of a 69-year-old Carlisle man began Monday in Warren County Common Pleas Court.

Ronald Rowland, of Judy Drive in Carlisle, was indicted by a grand jury in May 2018 on 12 counts of rape and six counts of gross sexual imposition involving crimes that allegedly began when the children were 5, 9 and 12 years old, according to prosecutors. He was initially charged in March 2018 after an investigation by the Carlisle police.

The crimes are alleged to have occurred between 2009 and 2017 in both Carlisle and Franklin.

Prosecutors say the crimes occurred at Rowland’s home, an alleged victim’s home, in a shed behind Rowland’s home and in a swimming pool. All the alleged victims are known to Rowland, investigators said.

During opening statements, Warren County Assistant Prosecutor Travis Vieux told the jury the girls lived a “childhood of betrayal, a childhood of secrets and a childhood of abuse.”

Vieux described the alleged sex acts pertaining to all 18 counts, saying the abuse began when the first victim was 12 and Rowland told her during a talk about “boys and relationships.” That is when Rowland first touched the girl’s genitalia, he said.

The sexual abuse continued for years and included oral sex and vaginal penetration, Vieux said. When Rowland developed erectile dysfunction, “he began using objects to assault her,” he said. One of those items was a sex toy that police found in the bed stand when they began investigating the case.

Vieux said the girl kept quiet because she didn’t realize she had been “raped” because she thought it was what is traditionally seen on TV or in the movies.

Eventually, the victim grew older and realized what was going on was not “right” and “they struck a deal. He would stop if she didn’t tell,” Vieux said.

But the victim didn’t know there were other victims, he said. After communication between all the alleged victims and a tip to an area medical center, the investigation began by Carlisle police, Vieux said.

Defense attorney Tamara Sack told the jury what the prosecutor described “sounded like a house of horrors.”

But the crimes did not happen, Sack said, adding the jury will hear from Rowland that it is not true.

Sack pointed out the first alleged victim told no one about the alleged abuse for years and that there was a lot of animosity over the years toward Rowland from the parents of the alleged victims.

The first witness was the first alleged victim, who is now 19.

She cried at times as she recounted the sexual abuse and pointed to Rowland as her abuser. Rowland leaned forward at times to hear some of her strained statements.

The teen said Rowland told her when she was 12 years old, “Let me be your teacher,” then touched her genitalia.

“He said he wanted to show me certain sexual things so I could be prepared when I was in a relationship,” the teen said.