A sex offender who is not listed in public registries because he sexually assaulted a girl when he was a minor has raped another girl, police reported.
James E. Lane, 18, of Springfield Township, is charged with rape of a child under age 13 in Summit County Common Pleas Court. The charge carries a sentence of life in prison.
According to police reports, a 12-year-old girl told police in January that Lane sexually assaulted her in Springfield in October. She at first did not disclose the assault, but later told a police officer what happened.
Springfield police Detective John Lombardi said Lane tried to pursue a relationship with the girl prior to the incident.
Lombardi said even police didn’t realize Lane wasn’t listed in public sex offender registries.
“We didn’t know that was the case until this happened,” he said.
According to Ohio law, juvenile sex offenders are not publicly listed, but still are required to register with their local sheriff’s office. Neighbors also are not notified when juvenile sex offenders move in nearby.
The reported incident with the 12-year-old girl occurred while Lane was facing charges of failure to register a change of address as a sex offender. According to court records, Lane moved from Akron to Springfield some time after he was convicted. The change of address case is ongoing.
In the previous case, Lane was accused in June 2013 — making him 15 years old at the time — of forcing an 11-year-old girl into a tent in her backyard, where he allegedly raped her. He was charged with rape and kidnapping. As a result of juvenile court proceedings, he was labeled a Tier III sex offender, meaning he must register with his local sheriff’s office every three months for the rest of his life. A juvenile court representative did not return a call seeking details of Lane’s conviction.
The victims in the two cases are different girls, police said.
Lane, who was arrested in late January, is being held at the Summit County Jail on $250,000 bond while awaiting trial in his latest case.
Nick Glunt can be reached at 330-996-3565 or nglunt@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickGluntABJ.