State v. M.T.-R.

Citations

• 2024 Ohio 3010

Syllabus

Sufficiency manifest weight uncorroborated witness improbable bifurcate joinder rape sexual battery gross sexual imposition. There was sufficient evidence that defendant raped and sexually assaulted his stepdaughter despite the use of minimal force where stepdaughter was dependent on stepfather and stepfather used his position of authority to force stepdaughter to comply. Defendant's convictions were not against the manifest weight of the evidence even though the victim's testimony was contradicted by the testimonies of her mother and sister where evidence showed that mother and sister had reasons to lie in the defendant's favor. The trial court's failure to bifurcate counts alleging sexual offenses against two different victims did not unfairly prejudice the defendant where the evidence as to each offense was separate and distinct.