GALLIA COUNTY, Ohio – According to the Gallia County Sheriff’s Office, following a lengthy investigation, the Gallia County Grand Jury indicted former Gallipolis resident Matthew Huck. Huck was a teacher and wrestling coach at River Valley High School in Gallia County. He now faces three counts of Complicity to Commit Unlawful Sexual Conduct with a Minor and one count of Rape involving a female student in 2004.
The indictment states that, in 2016, Mr. Huck unlawfully assisted his then-wife Michal Paige Huck when she – in violation of the law and on several occasions — engaged in sexual activity with two male students between the ages of 13 and 16.
Authorities say that evidence gathered shows multiple instances of Mr. Huck aiding and abetting Ms. Huck in this twisted pattern of sexual abuse. The Grand Jury previously indicted Ms. Huck for her role in these crimes and she is currently awaiting trial.
In an even more serious charge, the Grand Jury also indicted Mr. Huck for raping a teenager who was a student attending River Valley High School. The attack occurred at a nighttime event held at the Huck house in August 2004.
“Matthew Huck was a teacher and coach who spent most of his time around teenagers whom he was required to protect but, all the while, he was scheming to see them sexually abused,” Special Prosecutor Mark R. Weaver said. “And, in one instance outlined in the indictment, he did more than scheme – he raped a girl.”
“Many people in Gallia County suspected this was happening but we needed hard evidence to prove it – now we have it,” Special Prosecutor David Kelley said. “We’ll be asking a jury of his peers to hold Matthew Huck fully accountable for his predatory behavior.”
“Parents in this community trusted Matthew Huck to look out for their kids and he betrayed that trust,” Weaver added. “The evidence makes it clear that Matthew Huck now must face justice.”
Weaver went on to praise the victim of the rape. “This woman bravely came forward to tell us what happened,” he said. “She did the right thing and her willingness to speak up may well save others from being victimized.”
If convicted on all counts, Mr. Huck faces a prison sentence of up to 26 years and lifetime registration as a sex offender.
“We want to thank Gallia County Sheriff Matt Champlin and his team – as well as Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation – for working this case from the ground up,” Weaver said after meeting with the Grand Jury. Kelley agreed, adding, “These law enforcement partners of ours have done right by the community and everyone owes them a debt of gratitude.”