CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A former Chillicothe physician assistant was arrested Wednesday morning at his Ross County home on a nationwide warrant from Florida charging him with child sexual abuse crimes that could carry the death penalty, following a two-year investigation aided by Scioto Valley Guardian.
Florida authorities issued the warrant after reporters from the local news outlet collaborated with law enforcement, providing key evidence—including an audio recording in which Rufus Lowman allegedly confesses to abusing his former stepdaughter—and connecting investigators with the victim, her family, and potential witnesses.
The abuse allegedly began when the girl was 11 and continued until she was 18, spanning periods when the family lived in Florida and after they relocated to Ohio. Despite the family moving to Chillicothe and evidence—including the same audio confession—indicating the abuse persisted in Ohio, the Ross County Sheriff’s Office repeatedly failed to pursue charges and closed its investigations without action.
Florida investigators, however, viewed the evidence differently. Bolstered by materials and connections supplied by The Guardian with the victim’s family’s permission, they built a case over two years that led to the warrant for child sexual abuse offenses and his arrest on Wednesday. If convicted on charges involving a victim under 12, Lowman could face the death penalty in Florida.
Lowman, who previously operated Rose Medical Clinic in Chillicothe as a physician assistant, saw his Ohio medical license permanently revoked by the State Medical Board in September 2024. The revocation stemmed from improperly prescribing Schedule II controlled substances, including opioids with high abuse potential, to multiple patients without required supervision between 2022 and 2024.
Lowman is locked in in the Ross County Jail and awaits extradition to Florida to face his charges.
CONFESSION AUDIO:
