URBANA — A man charged with the years-long abuse of his former significant other was convicted Thursday, Feb. 19, in Champaign County Common Pleas Court.
Caleb Rose, 25, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree felony rape; two counts of third-degree felony sexual battery; and one count of first-degree misdemeanor menacing by stalking. He faces up to 34 years in prison when he is sentenced March 19.
The charges are the result of over a half-decade of abuse that culminated in August 2024, while Rose was living with the victim in St. Paris. The victim endured an abusive relationship with Rose for six years, during which she suffered emotional, physical and sexual abuse, Champaign County Prosecutor Kevin Talebi said in a press release.
In addition to the rape and sexual battery charges, Rose was convicted of one-year firearm specifications related to both rape charges, adding mandatory prison time to his sentence. The rape charges each carry a mandatory prison sentence with a minimum term of up to 11 years. The sexual battery charge carries a possible sentence of up to five years, and the menacing by stalking charge carries a potential jail sentence of up to 180 days.
Under Ohio law, Rose will also be classified as a Tier III sex offender, requiring in-person registration every 90 days for the rest of his life.
“For six years, the victim endured an extremely abusive relationship with the defendant,” Talebi said in a statement. “During this time, she was emotionally, physically, and sexually assaulted. The culmination of this abuse took place throughout the month of August 2024 and ended when the victim reported the assault,”
We are very grateful that we were able to obtain justice for our victim and that Caleb Rose will be held accountable for his criminal conduct,” he added. “Criminal cases involving domestic abuse and sexual assault are particularly difficult to prosecute. It is often difficult for victims in an abusive relationship to reach out and ask for help or report the abuse to authorities. I want to thank the victim in this case for finding the courage to report the assault and testify at trial.”