Lawson was charged July 21 in a Butler County Common Pleas Court on an original seven counts.
Indicted counts of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony; gross sexual imposition, a fourth-degree felony; and two first-degree felony counts of rape were dismissed.
Charges against Lawson stem from her time as an employee of Companions, a Middletown group home at 3925 Roosevelt Blvd. for adults with development disabilities.
Companions did not respond to request for comment on this case.
The business typically only caters to a portion of the population who may have some type of disability, specifically intellectual disabilities, according to prosecutors.
The alleged victim attended Companions between Jan. 1 and March 26, according to prosecutors, and the incident occurred within that time frame.
A Middletown police report stated the day of the incident was Jan. 20.
The report was made on March 26, and the complainant stated they were made aware of “inappropriate conduct at the home” on March 25.
Lawson’s name is redacted in the police report, but prosecutors say she is the alleged suspect.
In the report, the complainant said they were advised by the Ohio Department of Development Disabilities to file a police report with the local agency and a follow-up investigation would be ongoing through the office.
When reached for comment on the investigation, a DODD representative stated major unusual incidents, reports and investigations are not public records and, therefore, not disclosable.
“We cannot comment about ongoing court proceedings,” the representative said.
Major unusual incidents are defined on DODD’s website as “alleged, suspected or actual occurrences of an incident when there is reason to believe the health and welfare of a person may be adversely affected or the person is placed at a likely risk of harm.”
About the Author
