(CAMBRIDGE, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost today announced the conviction of a Belmont County man with charges of rape, sexual battery and aggravated burglary. A Guernsey County jury found Lawrence A. Hartley guilty of three first-degree felony rape charges, four third-degree sexual battery charges and a first-degree felony aggravated burglary charge.
“Thanks to the partnership and dedicated work of the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office and our Special Prosecutions Section, this victim is getting justice,” Yost said. “The members of the jury served and protected their community by returning a verdict of guilty to put this predator behind bars.”
The victim was at a neighbor’s house across the street, returned home and went to bed. The victim awoke while being sexually assaulted in her own home by a man she did not know. An investigation conducted by the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office determined that Hartley was also at the same neighbor’s house. The Special Prosecutions Section of the attorney general’s office led the prosecution of the case.
Hartley will be sentenced on April 8, 2019, and faces a maximum of 44 years in prison.
