(LONDON, Ohio) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Madison County Sheriff James Sabin announced today that a Madison County man will spend the next ten years in prison for the rape of a teenager in 2013.
Steven Eagle, 23, of London, Ohio, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Madison County Common Pleas Court to one count of rape and was sentenced by Judge Eamon Costello to a prison term of ten years.
Authorities with the Madison County Sheriff's Office began investigating Eagle after a teenager reported being raped by a masked man at Madison Lake in November 2013. DNA evidence linked Eagle to the assault.
The victim had been in the area to meet an individual she had been talking with through text messaging, and upon further investigation, authorities determined that Eagle, posing as that individual, was solely responsible for the texts.
"Investigators found that Eagle was able to lure the victim to the area under the impression that she was there to meet the person she thought she was texting," said Attorney General DeWine. "This case is another example of how predators can use technology to get close to their victims, and I am pleased that this individual will be spending the next ten years behind bars."
"In this age of technology, it can be very easy for criminals to deceive victims through electronic media because they can hide behind a fake screen name or phone number," said Sheriff Sabin. "This case, however, should serve as a warning to others considering a similar crime because we will track down those behind these deceptive encounters."
As part of the sentence, the defendant, who was previously classified as a Tier II sex offender in connection with an unrelated crime, was reclassified as a Tier III sex offender, which will require that he register his address every 90 days for life following his release from prison.
The case was prosecuted by attorneys with Attorney General DeWine's Special Prosecutions Section, which can be called on to prosecute major felony cases such as homicides, sex offenses against children, white-collar crimes, and public corruption. In 2014, attorneys with the Special Prosecutions Section opened more than 400 cases in 69 counties.
Authorities with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Cyber Crimes Unit, Criminal Intelligence Unit, and crime laboratory assisted in the investigation.
-30-
Media Contacts:
Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840
Jill Del Greco:614-466-3840