(GALLIPOLIS, Ohio) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today that a Gallipolis man will spend at least fifteen years in prison following his conviction for the rape of a child in 2012.
Stephen Bush, 65, pleaded guilty to one count of rape yesterday. Gallia County Common Pleas Court Judge D. Dean Evans then sentenced Bush to life in prison with parole eligibility after 15 years. If released, he will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Bush was arrested by agents with the Attorney General's Crime Against Children Unit in November 2012 after an investigation revealed that he sexually assaulted a child under the age of 13.
"This defendant was a friend of the child's family, and he took advantage of that trust in order to abuse the young victim," said Attorney General DeWine. "Now he will be spending time in prison for this awful crime."
Investigators with the Gallia County Sheriff's Office also investigated the case. Attorneys with the Special Prosecutions Section of Attorney General DeWine's Office prosecuted the case.
Attorney General DeWine created the Crimes Against Children Unit, which is part of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, in 2011. The unit assists law enforcement agencies throughout the state to investigate cases involving juvenile victims. In 2013, the unit worked 125 cases in 47 Ohio counties, executed 30 search warrants, and made 22 arrests.
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