Youngstown man facing 5 felonies of child sex released from jail

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A man awaiting his trial date for sexually abusing a 6-year-old was released from jail Thursday.

Judge Maureen Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court reinstated the $50,000 bond for Thomas F. Reto Jr., 66, of Marinthana Avenue, who faces five felony counts of gross sexual imposition.

Though court records show assistant county Prosecutor Jennifer McLaughlin moved to revoke Reto’s bond in February after his indictment on cocaine possession charges, Reto’s attorney, Ronald Yarwood of Youngstown, argued for its reinstatement during a Thursday pretrial hearing.

A county grand jury indicted Reto in August. He is accused of forcing the child into sexual contact between 2006, when the child was 6 years old, and 2011, according to the indictment.

Reto posted the bond after his August appearance and was released on the condition he have no contact with the accuser or be within 1,000 feet of them or their family.

Reto is set for trial on the drug charge April 1 before Judge Sweeney.