(LONDON, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Madison County Sheriff James Sabin announced today the arrest of a Madison County man accused of sexually assaulting a child over a period of several years.
Gary Zornes, 52, of Plain City, was arrested this afternoon after an investigation by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office uncovered the alleged assaults.
Prosecutors with Attorney General DeWine’s Special Prosecutions Section presented the case to a Madison County grand jury this week. Zornes was indicted on six counts of rape, 22 counts of gross sexual imposition, three counts of sexual battery, two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and one count of kidnapping.
A number of the charges include a sexually violent predator specification.
The indictment alleges that Zornes compelled the victim to submit by force or threat of force on multiple occasions between 2008 and 2015. The first assault allegedly occurred when the victim was approximately 11 years old.
“The investigation found that the innocent victim was allegedly attacked by this defendant over and over, year after year,” said Attorney General DeWine. “My office is committed to protecting children in this state and holding predators accountable.”
The case is being prosecuted as part of Attorney General DeWine’s Crimes Against Children Initiative.
Anyone with additional information should contact the Madison County Sheriff’s Office at 740-852-1332.