LEBANON, Ohio — A Warren County judge sentenced a Carlisle man to life in prison for the years-long sexual assault of two young girls.
Ronald Rowland will be eligible for parole in 56 years. He is 69 years old.
On Wednesday, after a three-day trial, a jury convicted Rowland of seven counts of forcible rape, one count of rape of a child under 13 and two counts of gross sexual imposition.
According to Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell, Rowland abused two victims between 2009 and 2017. The abuse began when the first victim was 9 years old and the second victim was age 12.
The abuse took place in a shed behind Rowland’s house, in various rooms in his house, at a rental house in Franklin and at one of the victim’s homes.
“Rowland preyed on two little girls who trusted him,” Fornshell said in a news release. “For years, he used that trust to his advantage to hide his horrific sexual assaults against them. He rightfully deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison.”
The abuse came to an end in 2018 when the first victim confided in her mother about the assaults. The second victim later recorded Rowland apologizing to her about what he had done in a phone call.
In addition to the life sentence, Rowland will also be designated as a Tier III sex offender.
