Perry Township man indicted on child rape charge
By TOM GIAMBRONI
POSTED: May 8, 2008
LISBON — A 22-year-old Perry Township man previously charged with raping a 2-year-girl he knew at his home was officially indicted on the charge this week.
The secret indictment against John M. Hudson, of West Perry Street, was issued by the Columbiana County grand jury and served Tuesday, charging him with rape, a first-degree felony, which carries a possible mandatory sentence of life in prison due to the alleged victim’s age and injuries.
Hudson originally was charged with rape by police, requiring he first be processed through county Municipal Court before being bound over to county Common Pleas Court for possible indictment. The county prosecutor’s office decided instead to drop the charges in Municipal Court and take the case directly to grand jury.
According to police, the child’s mother returned home from work on April 23 to discover her daughter injured in what appeared to be a sexual manner, and Hudson was the babysitting the child during that period. The child was taken to Salem Community Hospital and then to Akron Children’s Hospital, which determined the injuries were from being sexually assaulted.
The girl spent several days in the hospital, where she had to undergo surgery for her injuries. “She’s doing as well as can be expected,” said Assistant County Prosecutor Tim McNicol.
Hudson reportedly told authorities he dreamed he was making love to the child’s mother, with whom he resided, and that it was possible he engaged in sexual conduct with the girl.
Hudson served six months in the county jail in 2006 after pleading guilty to having consensual sex with an underage teenage girl in Salem the year before. He is being held in jail on $5 million bond.
tgiambroni@mojonews.com
