SCIOTO COUNTY, Ohio — A West Portsmouth man is in jail today, charged with the rape of four children in Ohio and Virginia.
According to Scioto County Sheriff David Thoroughman, 36-year-old Gary W. Cook III, is being held on a $550,000 bond.
Detectives along with the Scioto County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit identified four male juvenile victims under the age of 13. Investigators say that more victims may be involved in this case.
The Scioto County Sheriff’s Office received a report on October 4 from a parent who said their underage son had been sexually assaulted while in Virginia. Deputies met with the victim and their parents regarding the alleged incident. As part of the investigation, additional victims were discovered, officials said.
A search warrant, Thoroughman said, was executed at a residence on Elza Lane in West Portsmouth. Reports say that evidence related to the case was collected from the scene.
Two other victims were also transported to Adena Regional Medical Center for treatment.
The sheriff added that several children were removed by Child Protective Services and were placed in foster care.
Gary W. Cook III faces 3 counts of the rape of a child under the age of 13 and 3 counts of child endangerment.
The case remains under investigation.