Judge Greer orders 2 children to remain in Highland County Children Services custody
Highland County Juvenile Court Judge Kevin Greer Wednesday ordered two children to remain in the care of the Highland County Children Services Agency through Dec. 7, after ruling that there was “clear and convincing evidence” the children were abused and neglected.
The children were placed in emergency temporary custody of the agency in December under a Juvenile Rule 6 issuance. A “Rule 6” — under the Ohio Rules of Juvenile Procedure — means that children can be taken into custody by a law enforcement officer if “reasonable grounds” are met.
During an adjudication and disposition hearing Wednesday morning, Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins discussed the allegations in the complaint filed Dec. 7, which she said both children as well as Ashley Cremeans, a social worker for the Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children, would testify to.
The complaint alleged the children were abused, neglected and/or dependent, alleging that “the child(ren) is/are the victim(s) of ‘sexual activity’ … thus making said child(ren) abused.” It was also alleged that the child(ren) “lack adequate parental care because of the faults or the habits of the parents.”
Collins told Greer that the children and social worker “would stipulate” to several of the allegations in the complaint. Before the complaint was filed, one of the children reported having allegedly seen the other child “having sexual intercourse” with their father. The child was interviewed at the Mayerson Clinic about the allegations, while the reported victim did not disclose anything.
According to Collins, after the complaint was filed, the reported victim has since come forth and “disclosed that things of a sexual nature had been going on” with the father for several years.
“This is what the clinician Mayerson Clinic stipulated she would testify to, that the children have told her?” Greer asked.
“The children have told her that, and they would also testify,” Collins said.
The father’s attorney, Bill Armintrout, said they would agreed that “that is what those witnesses would testify to.” The defense did not have any evidence to present, he said.
As a result, Greer said the court would find that the child(ren) “were victims of sexual activity” and were abused as alleged in count one, and that there was also “clear and convincing evidence” the children were dependent.
The judge ruled in favor of the agency’s request for the children to remain in the custody of Children Services for one year, with one year from the time of the initial complaint being Dec. 7, 2024. Armintrout said his client “had no position,” and guardian ad litem Kathryn Hapner and the children’s attorney Lynn Turner both agreed the children should remain in the agency’s custody.
The father was initially charged with one count of rape. The case has since bound over to the grand jury. Collins said that “any findings” in this case “would not be used against” the father in any potential additional cases.