Guilty verdict handed down in child sex abuse case
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (Aug. 21, 2024) – The former daycare worker and student teacher accused of molesting a young child he was babysitting is guilty of gross sexual imposition.
Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court jurors deliberated for several hours before handing down the verdict against Justin McCauley, 25, of Bolivar, late Tuesday morning. Assistant County Prosecutor Kristine Beard characterized the abuse as ongoing, beginning when the child was 6 years old and ending more than a year and a half later when she found the courage to tell her mother.
“Is it important to the state that he never gets in another position where he’s around a kid? Absolutely. She’s fine. She’s safe. What about the next kid?”
McCauley was originally indicted on a second GSI count but requested separate trials and was acquitted of the other. Prosecutor Ryan Styer was pleased with Tuesday’s verdict.
“It’s a good feeling that the verdict came back guilty and that after a lot of long days, a lot of work, a lot of persistence, that justice was accomplished.”
McCauley is facing up to five years in prison when he returns to court to be punished for the crime. He retains the right to appeal the conviction, which makes him ineligible for an Ohio teaching license.