MEDINA — A 23-year-old Wadsworth man pleaded not guilty Thursday to raping a 5-year-old girl and making pornography featuring the child in late October.
Charles Mills, of 190 Main St., Apt. 316, is charged with raping a child under age 10, two counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, and tampering with evidence. The charges are first-, second- and third-degree felonies.
Charles Mills
Rape normally is punishable by up to 11 years in prison, but under Ohio law the maximum sentence extends to life if the victim is younger than 13.
In addition, Mills is charged with being a sexually violent offender. If Mills is convicted and Medina County Common Pleas Judge James L. Kimbler labels him a sexually violent offender, Mills will receive a mandatory life sentence without parole.
Kimbler scheduled Mills for a March 11 trial.
County Prosecutor Dean Holman said the rape and pandering charges refer to the same child, but declined to say how Mills may have tampered with evidence.
“To answer that question would require me to discuss the evidence,” Holman said, “and I don’t think that’s appropriate before trial.”
According to Mills’ Jan. 3 indictment, he altered, destroyed or concealed evidence in early November while he knew a police investigation was ongoing.
Mills awaits trial at the county jail, where he’s being held on $500,000 bond.
Contact reporter Nick Glunt at (330) 721-4048 or nglunt@medina-gazette.com.