Trial for alleged child rapist moved to October
Steffes
LIMA The trial for a Lima man facing 62 sex-related charges that led to the ouster of the former head of the Allen County Children Services agency has been pushed back to October.
Scott Steffes was scheduled to stand trial last week on charges that include two counts of rape, 25 counts of unlawful sexual contact with a minor, 28 counts of sexual battery, six counts of felonious assault and a single count of tampering with evidence.
In a motion filed, May 11 Steffes’ attorney, Kirk McVay, requested his client’s scheduled trial date be set aside because “the parties have engaged in meaningful plea negotiations but important issues thereto still need to be decided. A continuance of this matter would serve the interests of fairness and justice in the case.”
Newland recommended to lead Children Services
Newland
LIMA The next executive director of Allen County Children Services is likely to come from within.
A hiring committee for the board of directors for the agency announced Tuesday night that they are recommending Sarah Newland for the position.
She’s been serving as interim director since the dismissal of Cynthia Scanland in June 2020.
Scanland was indicted by an Allen County Grand Jury on three counts of tampering with records, all felonies of the third degree; a fifth-degree felony charge of obstructing official business and a misdemeanor count of dereliction of duty in connection with the criminal case against Jeremy Kindle and Scott Steffes, foster parents who adopted three boys through Children Services.
Top stories of 2020
By David Trinko - dtrinko@limanews.com
1. Coronavirus pandemic: Mel Hackworth, a medical assistant with Health Partners of Western Ohio, holds a COVID-19 nasal swab test while working at the Bradfield Community Center drive-up testing site in June in Lima.
2. Berger retiring: Lima Mayor David Berger announced in September he wouldn’t run for election, retiring once his term ended in November 2021.
3. Children Services shakeup: Dr. Jennifer Hughes, the chair of the board of directors for Allen County Children Services, announced three of the top people in the agency wouldn’t return to work in the wake of a criminal case against foster parents allegedly committing sexual acts with minors.