A man accused of trying to lure an 11-year-old Deerfield Twp. child into his van was released from the Warren County Jail.
Lonnie Gene Kennedy, 54, of Amelia, faced criminal child enticement charges but a grand jury declined to indict him Friday, June 26.
Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel said the grand jury felt they did not have enough evidence at the present time to indict Kennedy, but added her office would continues to “pursue the case aggressively.”
“If and when we develop new evidence, we will be bringing in back to the grand jury,” she said. “In the mean time, we can’t keep him in jail any longer.
That’s because Kennedy has been in jail for close to 40 days, nearly half of the 90 day limit under speedy trial rights, Hutzel said.
“Our feeling was, at much as we hated to let him go, we felt we had to so that we would have time to develop the additional evidence we need to go forward,” she said.
Warren County Sheriff Larry Sims said his office will continue to investigate the case.
Kennedy, who was convicted of raping a minor in Kentucky in 1982, was accused of approaching the child on May 4 at a school bus stop south of U.S. 22/Ohio 3 near St. Margaret of York in Deerfield Twp., police said. Police said Kennedy tried to lure the boy into the vehicle and when he noticed a school bus approaching, he left the area, deputies said.
His arrest May 7 was announced by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office to be part of a joint investigation between that department, the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office and Pierce Twp. Police Department.
Pierce Twp. police said last month they don’t have enough evidence to charge anyone, but there have had three incidents reported involving vans following children.
The boy testified May 14 in Mason Municipal Court, crying on the stand but managing to compose himself and tell his story about how Kennedy allegedly invited him to play video games in his white van.
The white van, he said had rust on the bottom, two curtained windows on the driver’s side and a red bumper sticker.
However, when defense attorney Zack Zoz questioned Warren County Sheriff’s Detective John Mann, he said a van parked at Kennedy’s home in Amelia does not have any side panel windows.
Zoz or Kennedy could not be reached for comment.
