Weathersfield man indicted on child rape charges

WARREN

The Trumbull County grand jury has handed up a second major rape case this week, indicting Michael A. Hanick, 58, of Clearfield Avenue in Weathersfield Township on 11 counts of rape, including seven that carry a potential life prison sentence.

Hanick was arraigned this morning in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court, where he pleaded not guilty and Judge W. Wyatt McKay set bond at $1 million.

Hanick’s indictment accuses him of raping two girls — one of them only six years of age when four of the rapes are alleged to have occurred.

It also accuses him of raping a second girl three times in 2014 when she was 11 years old.

He is charged with four other rape counts from May and June 2013. The age and sex of the purported victim or victims from those allegations was not given. Those charges each carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.

The Weathersfield police investigated after Trumbull County Children Services reported that one of the purported victims told the agency personnel about them.

The same grand jury indicted Richard A. Benchea, 61, of Belvedere Avenue Southeast Thursday on 12 counts of rape involving a girl under the age of 16.