Seman pleads not guilty to bribery related to child rape case

YOUNGSTOWN

The suspect in the rape of a 10-year-old girl who died in a fire just hours before his trial was to begin, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to two counts of bribery related to that trial.

Robert Seman, 47, of West Calla Road in Green, entered pleas at his arraignment before Judge Shirley J. Christian in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Seman will remain in the Mahoning County jail until he can have a bond hearing. Bond in his rape case was revoked by Judge Maureen Sweeney March 30 after prosecutors told her they had evidence Seman tried to bribe a witness in his trial to change her story.

The victim in the case, Corinne Gump, 10, and her grandparents, William and Judith Schmidt, died March 30 in a fire at the Schmidts’ Powers Way home hours before Seman’s trial was to begin.

Read more about the case in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.