MAHONING COUNTY Jury indicts man in rape

The 24-year-old defendant was put on probation three times within six months, beginning in November 1999.
By BOB JACKSON
and PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITERS
YOUNGSTOWN -- A man Municipal Court Judge Robert A. Douglas Jr. placed on triple probation has been indicted on charges that include the rape of a 15-year-old baby sitter.
A Mahoning County grand jury has indicted Mark A. Parker, 24, of East Ravenwood Avenue, on four counts of kidnapping and single counts of rape and aggravated burglary.
Deena Calabrese, an assistant county prosecutor, said samples of Parker's DNA and fingerprints gathered from the scene have been tested and are a positive match.
Arrested in August: Parker's arrest took place about 12:30 a.m. Aug. 9, 2000, when neighbors and a 5-year-old boy identified him as the man seen near an East Ravenwood house where police found the 15-year-old girl crying in an upstairs bedroom. The girl, from Twinsburg, told the officers that she'd been raped and that the man threatened to kill her if she screamed.
Calabrese said Parker had visited the house earlier in the day to ask for a bandage for his son, who lived nearby and had cut his finger.
He returned that night, cut the power lines to the house so the lights would not work and raped the girl in an upstairs bedroom, Calabrese said. Three young girls, ages 7, 5 and 3, were found huddled and crying in a TV room downstairs. They told police Parker had threatened to kill them if they did not stay there.
At the time of his arrest last August, he also had a probation violation hearing and a public indecency trial pending in municipal court.
About triple probation: His triple probation to Judge Douglas reflects these court dates and crimes:
UNov. 19, 1999 -- aggravated menacing. The judge gave him 90 days in jail, suspended it all, placed him on one year of probation and ordered that he receive counseling.
UJan. 31, 2000 -- disorderly conduct (amended from theft). The judge gave him 30 days in jail, suspended it all and placed him on one year of probation.
UApril 13, 2000 -- importuning (solicited a 15-year-old girl for sex) and menacing (the same girl). The judge gave him 30 days in jail and suspended five days on the importuning. The judge gave Parker 30 days on the menacing, suspended all the days, placed him on two years' probation and ordered psychological counseling.
Also on April 13, 2000, records show that Judge Douglas ordered Parker to serve 60 days of electronically monitored house arrest and suspended 30 days on a probation violation.
Parker was to serve his house arrest from May 4 to June 6, 2000, and then be in municipal court for a probation violation hearing. That day, the hearing was reset to Sept. 5, 2000.
Police arrested Parker on May 11, 2000, and charged him with public indecency and he posted $1,000 bond.
Separate case: In another case that involved Judge Douglas, a man he let out on a $5,000 aggravated murder bond was back in municipal court Friday.
Wayne P. Gilliam, 19, of Castalia Avenue was arraigned by Municipal Judge Robert P. Milich on a charge of complicity to aggravated trafficking in marijuana.
Patrolman Michael Lambert had arrested Gilliam on Thursday evening based on evidence of undercover drug buys at a Mumford Drive house. Lambert said the drug activity has taken place since Gilliam posted his murder bond Jan. 19, the day Judge Douglas set a $50,000 bond and allowed 10 percent to be posted.
Michael J. Krause, an assistant city prosecutor, made Judge Milich aware of Gilliam's situation with the murder case and asked for $500,000 bond on the drug charge, saying Gilliam is a danger of the community.
Judge Milich set the drug bond at $100,000 and ordered that Gilliam, if he makes the bond, go on electronically monitored house arrest and live in a place approved by the probation department. Gilliam must also undergo drug evaluation.
Hearing rescheduled: After the arraignment, a bond revocation hearing for the bond set by Judge Douglas was set to take place in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. It has been reset to next week because Cochran was not available Friday.
Cochran and Terry Grenga, an assistant county prosecutor, agreed that Gilliam would be held without bond pending the hearing.
Although Gilliam's murder case was bound over to a grand jury in late January, evidence has not been presented yet to seek an indictment.