2 indicted in cases of child rape

12/10/2006

DEFIANCE - Two Defiance-area men accused of raping children have been indicted by a Defiance County grand jury and face, if convicted, life in prison.

Carl Egler, Jr., 28, a Campbell Soup Co. employee, was charged with 10 counts of rape for incidents with an 8-year-old girl from January through October.

The incidents occurred just east of Defiance in a Richland Township home, according to the Defiance County Sheriff's Office.

The office was alerted to the matter last week by the children's services division of the county's Department of Job and Family Services.

Mr. Egler was booked into the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio, Stryker, on Tuesday and indicted the next day.

Also indicted by the same grand jury was Andrew Michael Arps, 18, who is accused of raping a 4-year-old girl at his Defiance apartment complex. He was indicted on one count of rape. He has been held on the charge in the corrections center since Nov. 22.

Both men are held in lieu of $1 million bonds.

In Ohio, conviction of rape of a child under the age of 10 carries an automatic sentence of life in prison. However, there is eligibility for parole after 15 years. Judges also can fine child rapists up to $25,000 per count on which they are convicted.