Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The sex offenses against one of the girls span nearly six years.
YOUNGSTOWN — A Campbell man will automatically serve the rest of his life in prison after a jury convicted him of nine counts of raping a girl while she was under age 13.
After four hours of deliberations, the seven-woman, five-man jury returned its verdicts against John E. Wolff Jr., 31, of Notre Dame Drive, late Monday afternoon before Judge Maureen A. Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. Wolff was convicted of a total of 16 rape counts and nine counts of gross sexual imposition.
Wolff, who went on trial Aug. 13 on 18 counts of rape and nine counts of gross sexual imposition, was accused of having sexual contact with two young female relatives in his residence. Wolff, who has no prior criminal record, was convicted of all charges, except for two rape counts, one involving each girl.
The offenses he was convicted of concerning the first girl — 12 counts of rape and seven counts of gross sexual imposition — are alleged to have occurred between July 2000 and April 2006, when she was between the ages of 9 and 14. Nine of the rape counts involving her carry mandatory life sentences, said Dawn Krueger, assistant county prosecutor. Wolff was acquitted of one of the rape counts that would also have carried an automatic life prison term, that one pertaining to the first half of 2000.
Other charges
The offenses he was convicted of concerning the second girl — four counts of rape and two counts of gross sexual imposition — are alleged to have occurred between July 2000 and November 2001, while she was 13 and 14 years old. Wolff was acquitted of one count alleging he raped her between April and June 2000.
Except for the nine rape counts that carry an automatic life sentence, the rape counts each carry a three-to-10-year prison term. The gross sexual imposition counts carry between six months and five years in prison.
Wolff’s court-appointed lawyer, Paul Conn, said an appeal would be filed. Wolff had been free on $20,000 bond, but the judge ordered that bond revoked, and deputy sheriffs led him from the courtroom in handcuffs after the verdicts were rendered. Sentencing will be at a later date.