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Nelsonville Man Pleads Innocent To Rape Of Young Girl
By: Marika Lee | For The Athens Messenger
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A Nelsonville man pleaded innocent to numerous sexual crimes against a minor at an arraignment hearing in Hocking County Common Pleas Court on Friday.
Aaron J. Jones, 22, was arraigned one three counts of rape and eight counts of unlawful sexual contact with a minor. Jones allegedly raped a 12-year-old minor three times on Nov. 3, 2012 in Hocking County.
The unlawful sexual conduct charges are from eight different alleged incidents between Dec. 1, 2012 and May 1, 2013 against the same minor, who had turned 13.
The Hocking County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case after the department received a tip that the minor and Jones were allegedly engaging in sexual conduct.
Hocking County Prosecutor Laina Fetherolf asked Hocking County Common Pleas Judge John Wallace for a high cash bond at Jones’ arraignment because of the severity of the charges.
Wallace gave Jones a $100,000 cash or surety bond. Jones is also not allowed to have contact with the alleged victim or any other minors should he post bond.
Rape is a first-degree felony and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor is a fourth-degree felony. Jones could be sentenced to a minimum of 13 years and a maximum of 45 years in prison if convicted of all the charges, according to the Ohio Revised Code.