A Rushsylvania-area man has been charged with multiple counts of rape involving four victims in a Logan County grand jury indictment handed up this week.
Jacob A.R. Smith, 20, faces 13 counts of rape, felonies of the first degree; attempted rape, a felony of the second degree; kidnapping, a felony of the first degree; aggravated burglary, a felony of the first degree; extortion, a felony of the third degree; pandering sexually-oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person, a felony of the fourth degree; four counts of gross sexual imposition, felonies of the fourth degree; and six counts of menacing by stalking, felonies of the fourth degree.
Deputies of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Smith after a victim filed a report on Dec. 7, 2019.
A search warrant was served on Smith’s 8909 Johnson Lane on Feb. 24, 2020, and he was arrested on one charge of rape.
Three victims then came forward and reported allegations to deputies. Two of the victims reported multiple separate assaults.
It is alleged Smith knew all of his victims and developed relationships with them. He allegedly threatened to distribute a compromising image of one victim.
After receiving investigative findings from deputies, the Logan County Prosecutor’s Office began legal proceedings in the Logan County Juvenile Court as some allegations occurred when Smith was a juvenile.
In the last month, Judge Kim Kellogg-Martin found Smith would not be amiable to juvenile court sanctions and ordered that Smith face adult charges for the juvenile offenses.
The order enabled prosecutors to present the allegations to a grand jury.
Since his 2020 arrest, Smith has been on house arrest with permission to attend college and participate in athletics.
A trial date has yet to be set.