Hearing continued for officer
accused of rape
By: NEWS9
BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio --
The preliminary hearing for a
former Barnesville police officer accused of raping a mentally disabled woman
has been continued.
Gary Stephen was scheduled to
appear in court on Tuesday, but the hearing was rescheduled to Jan. 21 at 1
p.m.
Officials confirm that Stephen
lost his job as a Barnesville police officer in the 1990s after he was
convicted of gross sexual imposition.
Stephen is currently the
Barnesville VFW post commander, according to Barnesville Police Chief David
Norris.
A second suspect, Robert Smith,
is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 28.
Officials said Smith went to
the grocery store where the woman works and she carried Smith's groceries out
to his car. At that time, Smith allegedly touched the woman inappropriately.
Both men are charged with
first-degree felony rape for the Nov. 7 allegations -- officials said that due
to the woman's mental state, she cannot consent to sexual intercourse even if
she wanted to.
Additionally, Stephen is
charged with one count of gross sexual imposition and Smith is charged with two
counts of gross sexual imposition. Smith's charges stem from the Nov. 7 and
Dec. 26 allegations.
