Urbana man indicted on rape charge

An Urbana man accused of raping a woman with developmental disabilities pleaded not guilty during an arraignment hearing in Clark County Municipal Court.

Bond for Fred T. Markel, 59, of 5920 Terre Haute Road, was set at $50,000.

Markel was indicted on rape and gross sexual imposition charges.

RELATED: Clark County man indicted in rape of woman with disabilities

Clark County Sheriff’s Office detectives alleged in the summer of 2016, he made the victim and her boyfriend, who also has developmentally disabilities, have sex in front of him at their home in Clark County, according to court records.

Markel also had sex with her at his home at least twice, deputies alleged in court records.

The woman has a low IQ, moderate mental capacity and makes decisions based on what other people tell her to do, the court records say.

Clark County Sheriff Deb Burchett didn’t return calls from the Springfield News-Sun seeking more information about the case.

Developmental Disabilities of Clark County assists law enforcement with such investigations, Superintendent Jennifer Rousculp Miller said.

There have been 21 allegations that have been investigated in the past three years, Rousculp Miller said.

“People with developmental disabilities are among our community’s most vulnerable citizens,” she said. “Developmental Disabilities of Clark County is committed to protecting their health and safety.”

The agency has investigative agents who are responsible for examining cases of abuse, neglect and unusual incidents. All reports are then reviewed by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. On cases involving criminal charges, law enforcement investigators take the lead on the case.

If anyone suspects someone might be mistreating a person with disabilities, Rousculp Miller said they should report it to police or deputies immediately.

About the Author