Oak Harbor man, 34, denies he raped girl, 15, over 6-year period

7/8/2008

PORT CLINTON - An Oak Harbor man accused of raping a now-15-year-old girl 71 times over the course of six years pleaded not guilty yesterday in Ottawa County Common Pleas Court.

Raymond E. Taylor, Jr., 34, was indicted June 30, charged with committing more than 140 felony sex crimes, including rape, against the same girl beginning when she was 9.

In addition to 71 counts of rape, he is charged with 60 counts of sexual battery for alleged molestation and 10 counts of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles for allegedly watching pornographic movies with the girl during or before sex acts.

Mr. Taylor has denied all charges and reportedly rejected a plea bargain offered by the prosecution. He faces up to life in prison if he is convicted of rape.

He is being held in Ottawa County jail in lieu of $500,000 bond. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for July 14, with his trial to begin July 22.

When Mr. Taylor's accuser told a friend in April that Mr. Taylor was forcing her to have sex with him, the accuser's friend threatened to tell a school guidance counselor if the accuser didn't do it first.

On April 14, the accuser told a guidance counselor, who called a county social worker, who called a county sheriff's deputy.

The girl told deputies during interviews that Mr. Taylor touched her inappropriately and the sexual behavior escalated to intercourse during the summer of 2007, when she was 14. The alleged sex acts took place in Port Clinton and Oak Harbor.

Mr. Taylor would have sex with her "twice a week," using a condom to prevent her from getting pregnant, she said in a police report.

"[The accuser] was asked if she ever told Raymond Taylor no," Detective Amy Harwell wrote in her report. "[The accuser] stated that she did say no and tried to say no many other times, but he would insist.

"Sometimes Raymond Taylor would hold her down or grab her when she tried to pull away," she continued. "[The accuser] stated that Raymond Taylor insisted that she do these things with him. Also, Raymond would tell her that she wants to do it."

The girl accused Mr. Taylor of making her dress in lingerie on at least one occasion in 2007, then forcing her to have sex with him while she wore it.

She said he watched pornographic movies with her and took nude photos of her.

Mr. Taylor and his attorney, Tom Debacco, were present April 15 when deputies executed a search warrant at Mr. Taylor's home and seized his computer, pornographic movies, and several pornographic photos.

But none of the photos involved any children and some photos containing private parts could not be positively identified as the accuser, according to Detective Harwell's report.

A used condom was seized, however, and Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation tests confirmed it contained DNA belonging to Mr. Taylor on the inside and to the accuser and Mr. Taylor on the outside, according to police reports.

Contact Chauncey Alcorn at:

calcorn@theblade.com

or 419-724-6168.