COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — A former Franklin County sheriff appeared in Ross County court Monday charged with dozens of sex crimes.
Charles Davis was charged with 58 counts last month, including 32 counts of rape and 26 counts of sexual assault.
Davis’ crimes are laid out in an 18-page indictment.
Both the alleged 16-year-old victim and his mother gave statements to the judge during Monday’s hearing. It was revealed that Davis and the victim knew each other and that the alleged incident occurred over a two-year period.
The 16-year-old victim said that since Davis’ arrest and release using GPS monitoring, he has been afraid that Davis might follow him at school and at sporting events at his high school.
“I have already missed several school events because I didn’t want him to come after me and punish me for speaking up,” the victim said.
The victim’s mother told the judge that her teenage son was terrorized by Davis.
“Since he revealed himself, my son has lived in fear every day that he might retaliate. He needs to keep a clear head and make sure he is not persecuted,” said the victim’s mother.
He was supposed to be the one protecting civilians from the evils that roam this earth. He was supposed to be the one keeping the community safe. He did just the opposite. He terrorized the child he was supposed to protect, the victim’s mother said.
In court, the victim asked the judge to consider issuing a protection order.
A few hours after Davis’ arrest in July, he was released in an ankle bracelet and a judge also ordered him not to have any contact with children.
On Monday, a judge decided to grant the victim a protective order and ordered that Davis stay at least 1,500 feet away from him.
The alleged incidents occurred between March 2020, when Davis moved to Ross County, and mid-October 2022, when Davis was no longer a resident.
When ABC6 spoke to the Ross County prosecutor last month, he said it appeared Davis had done everything he could to keep his actions secret.
“He took every opportunity to make sure this information did not become public,” said Jeffery Marks. “The victim did not inform his family and did not say anything about what happened.”
The trial in this case is scheduled to begin in March 2025.
Davis was placed on leave for nearly a year after the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office was notified of the investigation conducted by BCI in September 2023. He was fired from the department earlier this month.
This isn’t the first time Davis has made headlines. In 2008, Davis was demoted and suspended for 60 days after allegedly harassing new officers at the Franklin County Corrections Center.
