OHIO
Tribune News Service
May 21, 2019
By Jeremy Pelzer
In the wake of revelations that ex-Ohio State University athletic doctor Richard Strauss sexually abused at least 177 male students between 1979 and 1998, Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday called on Ohio lawmakers to abolish the state’s statute of limitations for sexual assault.
During a Statehouse news conference, the governor also urged legislators to extend the statute of limitations for other sex crimes, take a “hard look” at extending the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits, and toughen penalties for sex crimes committed by authority figures.
Strauss, who killed himself in 2005, likely couldn’t be prosecuted for most of his crimes if he was alive today, DeWine said, because Ohio’s statute of limitations for rape is 20-25 years, depending on the circumstances. The time limit on prosecuting other felony sex crimes is as little as six years, he said. Charges for misdemeanor sex crimes such as groping and fondling must be filed within two years, and civil lawsuits must be filed within 1-2 years.
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