LEE COUNTY, Florida — A former Chillicothe physician assistant recently arrested on a nationwide warrant from Florida is now in custody in that state, facing charges that carry a mandatory minimum 25-year prison sentence and a maximum of life behind bars.
Rufus Frank Lowman, 57, was booked into the Lee County, Florida, jail Thursday evening on two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation involving victims under 12, according to jail records obtained by the Guardian. He is currently being held without bond.
The charges stem from allegations that Lowman sexually abused his former stepdaughter beginning when she was 11 years old and continuing until she was 18, spanning periods when the family lived in Florida and after they relocated to Ohio.
The charges and potential sentences
Lowman faces two separate charges under Florida Statute 800.04, both carrying stiff mandatory penalties:
The first charge — lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old by an offender 18 or older — is classified as a life felony under Florida law. If convicted, Lowman faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison with a maximum of life imprisonment, followed by lifetime sex offender probation. The charge is ranked as a Level 9 offense, the most serious category under Florida’s Criminal Punishment Code.
The second charge — lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim between 12 and 16 years old by an offender 18 or older — is a second-degree felony carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 51 months in prison and a maximum of 15 years, followed by at least two years of sex offender probation.
Both charges require lifetime registration as a sex offender if convicted. Under Florida law, neither the victim’s consent nor the perpetrator’s ignorance of the victim’s age can be raised as a defense.
If sentenced consecutively, Lowman could face life in prison plus 15 years. If sentenced concurrently, the life felony charge would control with a minimum of 25 years to life.
How the case developed
Florida authorities issued the warrant after a two-year investigation by the Guardian, which collaborated with law enforcement, providing key evidence, including an audio recording in which Lowman allegedly confesses to abusing his former stepdaughter.
Despite the family moving to Chillicothe and evidence indicating the abuse continued in Ohio, the Ross County Sheriff’s Office repeatedly failed to pursue charges and left the case open for over a decade. To date, neither the Ross County Sheriff’s Office nor the Ross County Prosecutor’s Office has clarified why Lowman has never faced charges in Ohio.
Florida investigators viewed the evidence differently.
Medical license revocation
Lowman, who 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. One family said Lowman gave their son controlled substances while operating as a “pill mill,” and the young man later died.
Current status
Lowman is being held at a Florida jail and is scheduled for a hearing on May 4 at 8:30 a.m. in Circuit Court.
Under Florida’s Criminal Punishment Code, judges have no discretion below the mandatory minimum sentences if Lowman is convicted.