Hillsboro man sentenced after pleading guilty to rape
Lead Summary
By
Caitlin Forsha-crforsha@gmail.com
A Hillsboro man was sentenced in Highland County Common Pleas Court earlier this month after pleading guilty to an amended rape charge.
As previously reported, Garrison Salyer, 25, was indicted June 1 on two counts of rape, both first-degree felonies. The two counts, each of which allegedly involved a minor victim, were for two different alleged time periods in the year 2019 (January 1-June 1 and June 2-Dec. 31).
The Hillsboro Police Department announced April 22 that on April 21, an officer with the Hillsboro Police Department received a call from Highland County Children Services requesting police assistance with a referral.
After police investigation, the department reported that Salyer allegedly admitted to sexually abusing a minor child on multiple occasions. Salyer was arrested on a first-degree felony charge of rape and was transported to the Highland County Justice Center.
One day before a scheduled motion to suppress hearing, Salyer and his attorney, J.D. Wagoner, appeared before Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss on Aug. 4. Salyer waived his right to prosecution by indictment and pleaded guilty to an amended first-degree felony rape charge.
Instead of the previous charges from the indictment, which specified the victim was under 13, the amended charge states that Salyer “purposely compelled [the victim] to submit by force or threat of force.”
The revised charge did not specify the victim’s age. The bill of indictment alleged the sexual conduct occurred “during the period of Jan. 1, 2019 and continuing through June 1, 2019 and in Highland County.”
As noted by Coss, the amended charge “carries a much [lower] sentence” than the original counts for which Salyer was indicted. The original indictment was dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Wagoner said the allegations were “very concerning” but told the judge that Salyer has repeatedly made “a full confession.”
“If there is a silver lining or any credit to my client, Your Honor, he is the individual who brought this to light,” Wagoner said. “He’s not denied these issues.”
Coss followed the joint recommendation of state and defense and sentenced Salyer to a minimum of 10 years, which could be as long as 15 years under the Reagan Tokes Law. Salyer had jail time credit of 105 days.
Salyer will also be classified as a tier III sex offender, which requires registration every 90 days for life under the Ohio Revised Code.
Salyer was admitted into the Correctional Reception Center in Orient on Aug. 6, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections.
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As previously reported, Garrison Salyer, 25, was indicted June 1 on two counts of rape, both first-degree felonies. The two counts, each of which allegedly involved a minor victim, were for two different alleged time periods in the year 2019 (January 1-June 1 and June 2-Dec. 31).
The Hillsboro Police Department announced April 22 that on April 21, an officer with the Hillsboro Police Department received a call from Highland County Children Services requesting police assistance with a referral.
After police investigation, the department reported that Salyer allegedly admitted to sexually abusing a minor child on multiple occasions. Salyer was arrested on a first-degree felony charge of rape and was transported to the Highland County Justice Center.
One day before a scheduled motion to suppress hearing, Salyer and his attorney, J.D. Wagoner, appeared before Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss on Aug. 4. Salyer waived his right to prosecution by indictment and pleaded guilty to an amended first-degree felony rape charge.
Instead of the previous charges from the indictment, which specified the victim was under 13, the amended charge states that Salyer “purposely compelled [the victim] to submit by force or threat of force.”
The revised charge did not specify the victim’s age. The bill of indictment alleged the sexual conduct occurred “during the period of Jan. 1, 2019 and continuing through June 1, 2019 and in Highland County.”
As noted by Coss, the amended charge “carries a much [lower] sentence” than the original counts for which Salyer was indicted. The original indictment was dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Wagoner said the allegations were “very concerning” but told the judge that Salyer has repeatedly made “a full confession.”
“If there is a silver lining or any credit to my client, Your Honor, he is the individual who brought this to light,” Wagoner said. “He’s not denied these issues.”
Coss followed the joint recommendation of state and defense and sentenced Salyer to a minimum of 10 years, which could be as long as 15 years under the Reagan Tokes Law. Salyer had jail time credit of 105 days.
Salyer will also be classified as a tier III sex offender, which requires registration every 90 days for life under the Ohio Revised Code.
Salyer was admitted into the Correctional Reception Center in Orient on Aug. 6, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections.
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