Carlisle man arraigned for alleged sex acts with children

Young alleged victims and their family members filled a Warren County courtroom Wednesday for the arraignment of a 68-year-old man accused of having sexual contact with three young girls.

The courtroom was filled on one side with alleged victims and their family members as Ronald Rowland, who was initially charged in March after an investigation by Carlisle police, walked in alone.

Rowland, of Judy Drive in Carlisle, was indicted by a grand jury May 14 on 12 counts of rape and six counts of gross sexual imposition involving crimes that began when the children were 5, 9 and 12 years old, according to prosecutors.

The crimes are alleged to have occurred between 2009 and 2017 in both Carlisle and Franklin.

Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell said the crimes occurred at Rowland’s home, an alleged victim’s home, in a shed behind the Rowland’s home and in a swimming pool.

One alleged victim accused Rowland and others were found after interviews at the county’s child advocacy center, Fornshell said.

Carlisle police officers received a call from Dayton Children’s Hospital on March 19 about a “possible sexual assault,” according to a police report.

During his arraignment Wednesday, Rowland told Warren County Common Pleas Judge Donald Oda II that he did not have money to hire the attorney who originally represented him.

Oda appointed attorney Tamara Sack as Rowland’s attorney and said a new court date would be set for next week.

Oda continued Rowland’s bond of $50,000, which was set in Franklin Municipal Court. He is free on bond.

In order to re-address bond, Oda said he needed more information after Rowland had met with his new attorney.

“Because if there was some agreement on your bail and what that bail should be set that was made at the lower court, I need to know a little bit more about it,” Oda said.

If convicted, Rowland “would spend the rest of his life in prison,” Fornshell said.

The victims’ families declined comment after the hearing.

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