Lancaster Man Bound over for Grand Jury on One Count of Gross Sexual Imposition
By Kathy Thompson
Times Recorder
July 27, 2007
http://zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070727/NEWS01/707270307/1002
New Lexington - Perry County Prosecutor Joseph Flautt was happy as he left a courtroom Thursday afternoon after a judge bound over a church camp volunteer counselor to the grand jury on one count of gross sexual imposition on a child under the age of 13.
Timmy S. Keil, 43, of Lancaster, sat quietly through the 30-minute preliminary hearing in Judge Dean Wilson's courtroom as another counselor from the Scioto Youth Camp outside Junction City testified he saw Keil caressing the back and buttocks of a young camper on July 19. "I would call what I saw more than a kind, gentle pat and it made me feel very, very uncomfortable," John Gornall told Wilson.
The incident occurred around 3 p.m. July 19, according to Gornall.
"My wife and I saw Timothy (Keil) walking toward the cabin after a movie," Gornall said. "I thought that was funny and went to tell the camp director."
But when Gornall approached Director C.D. Morgan, Morgan told Gornall he was aware of the situation and would speak to Keil.
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Morgan then went to the Keil's cabin and, when he came out, told Gornall and his wife to watch and see if Keil did not come out with the child.
About five minutes passed and Gornall said he and his wife went to the cabin and, when he walked in, he could see Keil lying on his back on his bunk with the child on top of him, "face to face, chest to chest, stomach to stomach" with the child's shirt pulled up and his pants pulled down past his buttocks.
Gornall described the caress as with one open hand making a circular motion on the child's back and one hand stroking the child's buttocks.
Gornall said the child looked "petrified" upon cross examination by defense counsel Aaron Miller.
"He wasn't making any noises or moving but it looked to me like he was trying to pull his head back," Gornall said. "The boy was stone cold faced."
Gornall said as he rushed into the cabin, Keil pulled the boy's shirt down and pulled his pants back up and nonchalantly told the child, "It's OK, buddy."
Angrily, Gornall said he grabbed the child, took him out to his wife on the porch and then immediately went back into the cabin and told Keil to get his stuff and get out, never to come back again.
Gornall also testified that the child told his wife that Keil scared him and made him feel very uncomfortable.
Keil was charged with three counts of gross sexual imposition on a child under the age of 13 on Monday and has since been held in the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail in Nelsonville.
After the hearing Flautt said part of his strategy was to keep Keil in jail on a $200,000 bond .
"I just didn't want the children to have to be subjected to a cross-examination today along with all the media in the courtroom," Flautt said.
Flautt will take the matter before a grand jury next week where he intends to bring at least three charges of gross sexual imposition against Keil and possibly more.
"This allows me time to review the interviews and the case before taking more cases to the grand jury. I'm just happy the bond was kept in place and Keil remains in jail."
Lt. Paul Drake of the Perry County Sheriff's Office, who is handling the investigation, said he, too, is happy with the results of Thursday's hearing.
"He's still in jail and off the streets for right now," Drake said. "That's good."
Keil was a volunteer camp counselor at the camp last week was suppose to go to another camp, the Round Lake Christian Assembly, in Lakeville, this week.
Keil has worked at that camp since last year, according to Ralph Eichelberger, but no complaints have been filed against him.
Eichelberger said camp officials are sending letters to the parents of all children who had been at the camp when Keil to inform them of the incident and see if there had been any problems with their children.
Keil's occupation is unclear. On his MySpace account he claims to be a professor but on his financial disclosure and Affidavit of Indigency report to the court he said he is self-employed with a company called I-Parenting Media and receives $653 from TANF funds and $765 from Metro MHA. His wife is listed as a construction company employee making $516 a month.
Keil has also listed his occupation as a creative writing professor at the Ohio Christian University, but is not employed by the university. Keil was an adjunct instructor and taught English for one class at the university, according to Hank Kelly, university executive vice president.
If convicted of the one count, Keil faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $10,000.
If Keil should make bond, Wilson has ordered him to wear a tracking device and to keep a distance of at least a mile from all victims.
Contact: Kathy Thompson kthompson@nncogannett.com
740-450-6753
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