The prosecutor agreed to remove some language from the rape charge so that it didn’t include that Ward, "purposefully compelled the victim by force or threat of force." And even with A guilty plea, Ward lacked accountability. Ward’s attorney did acknowledge that he has some slight intellectual defects. None the less, he was convicted last October for other sexual crimes that took place just days before he committed the rape. In municipal court, two counts of sexual imposition involving another young girl.

The jury will decide if Everett Ward is guilty or innocent of charges of rape and gross sexual imposition. He has been accused by a girl, who was 11 years old at the time, saying he raped her on Aug. 6, 2018. In March, he was ruled competent to stand trial after a mental evaluation. The prosecutor says the alleged victim was a friend of Ward's daughter and was in their house for a sleepover. The victim's mother had been good friends with the Ward family and the prosecutor says Ward was in a place of trust.

22-year-old Avery Ward appeared in Allen County Common Pleas Court to hear his punishment for his conviction of raping a 9-year-old boy. He was given life in prison without the possibility of parole. A jury convicted Ward of rape and felonious assault in December. Because of ever-changing laws, the judge also gave Ward eight years in prison for the felonious assault charge.

A little over half an hour is all it took for the jury to return a decision in the trial against Avery Ward. The 12 member jury found him guilty on one count each of rape and felonious assault. During closing arguments the state asked the jury, how could they ignore what the victim had testified?

A lot has come out early on in the trial against Avery Ward. Testimony after testimony has backed each other up. The state has the burden to prove Avery Ward committed the crimes of rape and felonious assault. On the first day, the jury heard a video deposition from the alleged victim, a 9-year-old boy.

A 9-year-old victim will not have to testify in front of an alleged rapist after a court ruling. The Allen County Common Pleas judge ruled having the victim in the case against 21-year-old Avery Ward would cause serious emotional trauma to the victim. Ward is charged with rape and felonious assault which allegedly happened in December. Three people testified on behalf of the state during the motion, the victim's counselor and two people from Allen County Children Services.

A 21-year-old Lima man could face up to life in prison for allegedly having sexual contact with a 9-year-old boy. Avery Ward was arraigned Friday on single counts of rape and felonious assault. The rape charge is a first-degree felony and, with the age of the victim, the maximum sentence could be life behind bars.