Steubenville: School Official Charged In Rape Case

Steubenville, Ohio has been under quite a bit of scrutiny since a 16-year old girl accused two star football players of rape; now, the national spotlight is pointed at the town again after a school of...
Steubenville: School Official Charged In Rape Case
Written by Amanda Crum

Steubenville, Ohio has been under quite a bit of scrutiny since a 16-year old girl accused two star football players of rape; now, the national spotlight is pointed at the town again after a school official was put behind bars without bond on Monday and charged with tampering with evidence, obstructing justice, obstructing official business and perjury.

Officials say 53-year old William Rhinaman, director of technology at Steubenville High School, is accused of helping to cover up the incident in order to help the boys named in the case.

“This is the first indictment in an ongoing grand jury investigation,” Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said in a statement. “Our goal remains to uncover the truth, and our investigation continues.”

The case made national headlines after the girl came forward with the accusations, saying she was too drunk to remember much of what happened at the party where the assault took place. Several photos and videos were taken of the incident, however, and uploaded to various social media sites. The boys–then-16-year old Ma’lik Richmond and 17-year old Trenton Mays–were convicted in March and were sentenced to 1 and 2 years in a juvenile detention center, respectively.

There have been rumors that the high school’s football coach, Reno Saccoccia, might face charges as well for helping to cover up the events at the party, but he has not been named in association with the grand jury at this time.

If convicted, Rhinaman could face up to four years in prison. Bob Fitzsimmons, the victim’s attorney, spoke about the arrest, saying, “I think it’s important that this shows some fruits from the investigative grand jury and also considers the importance of those responsible for reporting and/or preserving evidence after a crime is committed involving a child, in this case a girl 16 years of age.”

Image: Thinkstock

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