Trending
A Marietta man arrested in December 2019 and charged with 20 counts of rape was indicted again this week by the Washington County Grand Jury.
Richard Curtis "Rick" Decker Jr., 63, last known address of 708 Front St. Apt. 14, was initially arrested in December 2019,
Decker was charged with 20 counts of the first degree felony rape after a victim who is now more than 30 years old reported being raped by him from the ages of 5 or 6 to age 17.
He reappeared in court in July 2020, where Washington County Common Pleas Judge Mark Kerenyi found him competent to stand trial.
Along with 20 counts of rape, he was also charged with the second-degree felonious assault of a 7-year-old girl.
In January 2020, he pleaded not guilty to all charges.
He was indicted this week on two new first-degree counts of rape.
"These are two new victims," said Washington County Prosecutor Nicole Coil.
She said one of the new victims recently came forward and they decided to include her in the indictment.
"We didn't know about her," added Coil, noting another victim was more reluctant to be involved. "All of the victims are females (ages 5 to 17). We are aware of male victims, but the male victims are not willing to come forward."
In all, nine victims have come forward. Dates of the alleged assaults are from 1991 through 2012.
During Decker's arraignment, Kerenyi grouped the charges together according to the similarity of the crime or victim.
¯ For rape counts 1-6, Decker faces up to life in prison and a fine of $20,000 per count.
¯ For rape count 7, he faces three to 11 years in prison with a $20,000 fine.
¯ For rape counts 8-11, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years to life for each count, and a fine of $20,000 for each count.
¯ Count 12 is the second-degree felonious assault charge, for which he faces two to eight years in prison and a $15,000 fine.
¯ Rape counts 13 and 14 have him facing life in prison for each count, plus a $20,000 fine for each.
¯ Rape counts 15-21 have him facing three to 11 years in prison for each count, plus a $20,000 fine for each count.
During his interview with detectives, Decker reportedly admitted to engaging in sexual intercourse with the initial victim as a child, but said he was unsure how old the girl was at the time.
Coil said his cases are scheduled for jury trial on July 20.
¯ ¯ ¯
A New Jersey man was also indicted this week by the grand jury on nine counts as a result of sexual contact with a 13-year-old Little Hocking girl.
Elijah Ishmael Reid Williams, 28, of 77 Whittlesey Ave. 2nd Floor, West Orange, N.J., was indicted on five counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, all third-degree felonies; one count of attempted sexual conduct with a minor, a fourth-degree felony; one count of importuning, a fifth-degree felony; and two counts of illegal use of a minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance, both fifth-degree felonies.
Coil said Williams had been communicating with the 13-year-old girl through the Monkey app, which connects strangers through short video chats.
Coil said Williams presented himself as 16 years old, although he's 28.
"He came down to the area and went back to her residence," she explained. "He took part in unlawful sexual contact of a minor."
In regards to the importuning charge, according to Ohio Revised Code 2707.07(D)(2), "no person shall solicit another by means of a telecommunications device … to engage in sexual activity with the offender when the offender is 18 years of age or older and … the other person is a law enforcement officer posing as a person who is 13 years of age or older but less than 16 years of age, the offender believes that the other person is 13 years of age or older but less than 16 years of age or is reckless in that regard, and the offender is four or more years older than the age the law enforcement officer assumes in posing as the person who is 13 years of age or older but less than 16 years of age.
"Once the family figured out what was happening, law enforcement got her phone and pretended to be her," said Coil. "(Williams) came back under pretense because the deputies were communicating with him. The attempt charge is because it was a law enforcement officer."
The last two counts were because they found topless photos of a 16-year-old girl from Seattle, Wash., on his phone.
According to police reports, while messaging with the deputy, Williams indicated he had sex with the juvenile four or five times. A deputy spoke with Williams in the front seat of an unmarked cruiser after reading him his Miranda Rights. He admitted he knew the girl was 13 years old and had intercourse with her twice. He also admitted he drove back to Little Hocking that evening with the intent of having sex again.