Leavittsburg man sentenced to prison for raping 8-year-old girl

Staff report

WARREN

James R. Schall, 31, of Ruth Avenue in Leavittsburg has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for twice raping an 8-year-old Warren girl Sept. 7, 2013.

Schall pleaded guilty Monday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to two counts of rape, and Judge Peter Kontos sentenced him to concurrently serve each 15-years-to-life prison term.

If he ever gets out of prison, he will be required to report to the sheriff’s department in the place where he lives every 90 days for the rest of his life, said Diane Barber, assistant Trumbull County prosecutor.

Warren police investigated a complaint Sept. 9 that Schall had digitally raped the girl at a Hunter Street Northwest residence Schall owned.

In a Sept. 23 interview with a Warren police detective, Schall admitted to committing the rapes and then showed the detective cuts on his arm, saying he had attempted to commit suicide.

Police had Schall taken to ValleyCare Trumbull Memorial Hospital for evaluation. He later was transferred to Heartland Behavioral Hospital, a state psychiatric hospital.

Schall was taken to the Trumbull County jail when he was released from Heartland. Schall’s case was set to go to trial Monday afternoon, but his plea eliminated the need for a trial.