ATHENS ABUSE TRIAL Trial To Begin For Man Facing Day Care Abuse Charges
Reported by: Tiersa Davis
Web Producer: Jeff Morris
Reported: Feb. 27, 2013 3:58 PM EST
Updated: Feb. 27, 2013 4:27 PM EST
Southeast Ohio Regional Jail Photo
Athens
, Athens County
, Ohio
Jury selection has begun for a man charged with abusing children in a day care in Athens County, Ohio.
Thomas Shifflet, 75, of Glouster is charged with rape and other similar charges. Investigators accuse the suspect of abusing five young girls at a day care facility.
Shifflet's attorney originally requested the trials be separate, but prosecutors disagreed.
Jury selection began on Wednesday, and the trial is expected to start on Monday in Athens County.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An Ohio man charged with raping young girls is asking for separate trials.
Thomas Shifflet of Glouster in southeastern Ohio is charged with rape and related counts in Athens County Common Pleas Court.
The Athens Messenger reports that the 75-year-old is accused of having sexual contact with five girls between the ages of 3 and 12.
His attorney, John Lavelle, is asking that the charges be split up into separate trials, claiming that "highly prejudicial" evidence in some cases would be inadmissible in trials of the others.
He says the alleged victims have nothing to do with each other and that "each case on its own is so very weak."
Prosecutors say each case involves similar acts and occurred relatively close in time to one another.
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Tiersa Davis
