Canfield man gets 10-year-prison term for raping boy and girl

YOUNGSTOWN — A 32-year-old man is going to prison for 10 years after he pleaded guilty to two counts of raping children.

Calling the crimes “heinous acts,” Judge John M. Durkin imposed the two concurrent 10-year prison terms today on Chad E. Romigh, of Fairground Boulevard, Canfield.

The sentencing came immediately after Romigh entered his guilty pleas to raping a live-in girlfriend’s son and daughter in the last half of 2006. The boy was 7 and 8 years old and the girl was 9 when the offenses occurred in Youngstown.

The prison time is nonappealable because the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court judge adopted the joint sentencing recommendation of the prosecution and defense.

In the plea agreement, the prosecution agreed to drop the mandatory life prison sentence provisions in the two rape counts to which Romigh pleaded guilty. It also agreed to drop two other rape counts and four counts each of gross sexual imposition and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.

The children’s mother told Youngstown police Romigh moved out of her residence April 5 after she and Romigh fought.

More than two weeks later, her son told police that, over a two-year period, Romigh would disrobe and order the boy to engage in a sex act with him.

The boy, who didn’t make his allegations to his mother until April 20, told her he was afraid to tell her about the abuse while Romigh lived with the family, the boy’s mother told police.

For the complete story, see Thursday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.