Ashtabula man sentenced to life in prison for raping children

ASHTABULA COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) - An Ashtabula County man was sentenced to life in prison Monday for raping multiple children, according to the Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

Stewart Stacy, 55, was found to be a sexually violent predator, according to the Ohio Attorney General, and will not have the opportunity for parole.

“The forceful violation of children is unthinkable, heinous evil that deserves the harshest punishment possible,” Yost said. “I’m grateful for the jury’s discernment and for Senior Assistant Attorney General Kara Keating, who secured this life sentence. This defendant will rape no children in prison. Punishment is important, but keeping this man away from children and the rest of society is even more important.”

A jury found Stacy guilty of two counts of child rape with force, each a first-degree felony.

According to the Ohio Attorney General, the victims were under 10 years old when the crime was committed.

Stacy was also found guilty of four counts of gross sexual imposition, each a third-degree felony.

Two co-defendants were previously sentenced to prison in this case, Cherise Griffith and Dannail Obhof.

In 2020, Griffith was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years, and Obhof was sentenced to 25 years.

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