Police busted an accused child rapist at the McDonald’s in Jackson, Ohio on Friday. Officials said the Athens County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Timothy, Lenigar, 34, with six counts of rape. Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn said there were three different victims. One victim was assaulted over a period of six years. Lenigar’s alleged crimes date all the way back to 2004. The charges are all first-degree felonies.
Crimes Spanned 16 Years
The indictment charges that Lenigar assaulted his first victim in November and December of 2004. Back then, Lenigar was still a teenager. Between January and May of 2005, he allegedly raped another child on two separate occasions. A third victim said he assaulted them between July of 2014 and April of 2020. The last attack happened in April of 2020. The indictment claims Lenigar forced the victim to “submit by force or threat of force.”
Assaults in Jackson and Athens Counties
Officials said the rapes happened in Jackson County and in The Plains in Athens County. The Athens County Prosecutor’s Office prosecuted because the Jackson County assaults were part of a “continuing course of conduct” on Lenigar’s part.
Prosecutor Blackburn said the following agencies worked together on the investigation:
- Rio Grande Police Department
- Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
- Hocking County Sheriff’s Office
- Athens County Prosecutor’s Office
Arrest At Jackson McDonald’s
Law Enforcement caught up with Lenigar at the McDonald’s in Jackson, Ohio on Friday. Officers arrested Lenigar and transported him to the Gallia County Sheriff’s Office. Lenigar waived an extradition hearing. Officers transferred him to Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail. Lenigar is due in court on Monday, September 14.
“Chief Investigator Jay Barrett, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Liz Pepper and all involved did an excellent job investigating this case and bringing the offender to justice,” Blackburn said. “This is an important step in the healing process for the victims and their families.”
