Hillsboro man indicted on rape charges; Greenfield man charged with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor
A Hillsboro man indicted on three counts of rape and a Greenfield man charged with three counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor were among the nine individuals indicted by a Highland County grand jury in their April 1 session.
Matthew O. Jones, 37, of Hillsboro was charged with three counts of rape, all first-degree felonies; and one count of gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony.
The rape charges allege that Jones “did engage in sexual conduct” with a victim under the age of 10 during an approximate one-year period. The gross sexual imposition charge is for alleged “sexual contact” with a victim under the age of 13, according to the indictment.
In an unrelated case, Curtis W. Walden, 41, of Greenfield was charged with three counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, all third-degree felonies.
For all three counts, Walden is accused of “engaging in sexual conduct” with a victim under the age of 16 while being 10 or more years older than the victim.
In other indictments:
• Donald L. Holt, 39, of Bainbridge was charged with one count of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony, and one count of aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony. Both charges stem from an alleged incident in December.
• Michael W. Certain, 44, of Greenfield was charged with one count of having weapons while under disability, a third-degree felony; and a forfeiture specification.
It is alleged that on or about Feb. 4, Certain “did knowingly acquire, have, carry or use a firearm.” He has not “been relieved from disability” due to a previous conviction of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, the indictment alleges.
The shotgun allegedly in Certain’s possession is subject to forfeiture.
• Betty L. Groves, 58, of Greenfield was charged with one count of arson, a fourth-degree felony; and one count of criminal damaging, a second-degree misdemeanor.
Groves is accused of “knowingly causing or creating a substantial risk of physical harm” to an individual’s property “by means of fire or explosion.” It is alleged that “the value of the property or the amount of the physical harm involved is $1,000 or more.”
It is further alleged that Groves “caused or created a substantial risk of physical harm to a house” belonging to a second victim “by means of fire, explosion, flood, poison gas, poison, radioactive material, caustic or corrosive material or other inherently dangerous agency or substance.” The second count is for the same date in March.
• In a superseding indictment, Zachary Wilson of Cincinnati — doing business as Valor Outfitters, a Cincinnati business — was charged with one count of theft by deception, a fifth-degree felony.
The business was indicted in February. The superseding indictment adds Wilson to the case.
The indictment alleges that in July 2024, Wilson, doing business as the company, “did knowingly obtain or exert control over” U.S. currency valued between $1,000 and $7,500 from a victim.
• Charles H. King II, 54, of Washington Court House was charged with aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony.
• Scott T. McMurry, 46, of Greenfield was charged with aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony.
• Skyler D. South, 31, of Hillsboro was charged with aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony.
An indictment is merely a charge and is not evidence of guilt.
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