Attorney: Waynesville police officer denies rape allegations
A Waynesville police officer charged with rapes he allegedly committed while in high school is out of jail on $100,000 bond.
Peyton Kocevar, 22, was arrested Thursday evening and bailed out of jail Friday, according to jail records. He is charged in Kettering Municipal Court with seven counts of rape (by force or threat of force) and two counts of gross sexual imposition (by force).
The crimes are alleged to have occurred between December 2012 and January 2016. Kocevar would have been between the ages of 14 and 17.
Kocevar’s attorney, Jon Paul Rion, says his client flatly denies the accusations.
“These charges come as a great surprise to him, so we are very curious to see the nature of the allegations and intend to defend against them,” he said.
Rion said his client has “great respect for the law” and turned himself in to authorities once the warrant was issued.
A request for comment Friday from Waynesville police wasn’t returned.
A statement of facts filed with the charges says Centerville police began their investigation June 9 when two adult women reported they were raped by Kocevar.
“The incidents occurred between 2014 to 2016, and both victims provided detailed accounts of the rape, contacts for subjects they confided in later, a sworn written statement,” the statement of facts says. “Following these reports, six additional adult female victims also reported rapes against Peyton J. Kocevar that occurred between 2012 and 2016.”
The six additional victims provided a “detailed account of events, a sworn statement and if applicable, a witness or subject that they later confided in,” the statement of facts says.
Centerville police said in the court document they interviewed Kocevar at his residence, and he made no admission of guilt.
Court records say Kocevar is due back in court June 29.