Michigan man indicted on sex charges with girl, 7

6/15/2007

A Lansing man was indicted on 14 sex-related charges after Toledo police said he engaged in sexual conduct with a 7-year-old girl and that photos of the activity were found on his computer.

Dennis J. Gould, 43, was indicted by a Lucas County grand jury on two counts of rape, five counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance, six counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, and one count of gross sexual imposition. He was being held yesterday in the Lucas County jail without bond pending arraignment in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.

Police have been investigating the matter since September.

Gould gave his computer to a relative, who found the images and reported them to police, Sgt. Sam Harris of the special victims unit said.

Investigators analyzed the computer. Though the sergeant did not know the exact number of images found, he said there were "a lot."

Sergeant Harris said investigators believe the incident occurred in Toledo between 2003 and 2006. The girl, whom Gould knows, is now 11.

Investigators are not sure if additional people were involved or if a tripod was used to take the photos. The case remains under investigation.

A U.S. marshals' task force arrested Gould without incident in Lansing, where he was living in a homeless shelter, on unrelated Toledo charges, the sergeant said. After Gould was returned to Toledo this month, he was charged in Toledo Municipal Court with one count of rape in the matter.

Gould served three stints in prison since 1984 for convictions in Lucas County on robbery, burglary, breaking and entering, and aggravated robbery, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.