Man pleads innocent to charges

The man will be extradited to Sandusky County to face additional charges.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
LIBERTY -- A Girard man faces several misdemeanor charges after police found him in a township motel room with a 15-year-old Sandusky County girl he'd met on a telephone chat line and dating service.
Mark Ray Rider, 36, of Trumbull Avenue pleaded innocent in Trumbull County Family Court to misdemeanor charges of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. He also faces misdemeanor charges of obstructing official business and interference with custody in Sandusky County.
Rider is held in the Trumbull County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bond and awaiting extradition to Sandusky County.
Stanley Elkins, juvenile prosecutor, said Rider will likely be extradited to Sandusky County today. Liberty police, he said, are still investigating to determine if additional charges will be filed here.
Meeting
According to Girard Police Detective John Norman, Rider met the girl on a phone line chat service. He spoke with her and one of her friends before making arrangements to drive to Sandusky and meet the girl.
Norman said police believe Rider picked the girl up in Sandusky on June 30 and drove back to the Girard area. He said police received word Sunday that the two might be in the area and had been looking for Rider's 2006 silver Dodge Stratus.
Liberty police spotted the car just before 11 p.m. Monday parked outside the Tallyho-tel on Belmont Avenue.
Officers went to the room and were greeted at the door by Rider. Rider, reports said, agreed to allow officers to search the room, but became quiet when asked if anyone else was inside.
Rider, reports said, remained quiet when officers inquired about a pair of pink flip-flops on the floor.
The girl was later found hiding in the bathroom inside the hotel room. The girl, reports said, informed officers that she told Rider she was 16 when he picked her up at her Sandusky home.
Upon searching the room, officers found a variety of contraceptive products and a dietary supplement for sexual performance. Some of the contraceptive packs were empty.
Officers, according to reports, also found several days' worth of clothing for both Rider and the girl.
The girl is being held in the Trumbull Juvenile Justice Center as a runaway.
jgoodwin@vindy.com