Girl, 12, testifies of being raped by grandfather

WARREN — A 12-year-old girl who lived with her grandparents on Belvedere Avenue Southeast from age 6 to 11 told a jury today her grandfather raped her multiple times per week for more than three years.

Rick A. Benchea, 62, is on trial in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court on 12 counts of rape that could each result in a life prison sentence if he’s convicted.

The girl said the rapes began when she was about 8 and generally occurred in Benchea’s bedroom when his wife was working or in another room. The rapes generally occurred at night, she said.

The conduct started with groping when the girl was 7, she said, and progressed.

He always said, “Do me a favor” and “Promise not to tell,” the girl testified. She never told anyone until her mother questioned her about it, she said.

The girl and her brother almost never saw their mother during the years they lived with their grandparents, she said.

“This case is about trust — trust that this man violated when he continually molested his granddaughter,” Gabe Wildman, assistant county prosecutor, said during opening statements.

“This man’s a rapist and child molester. Period,” Wildman told the jury of seven women and five men in the courtroom of Judge Andrew Logan.

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com