A Pennsylvania man spent his Thanksgiving weekend in a local Ohio jail after he was arrested under suspicion of the rape of a young girl. The incident that led to the arrest occurred in a Columbus, Ohio park. A witness, who remains anonymous to reporters, called Ohio law enforcement when they noticed an older man with a young girl together in the park. According to a police official, the witness observed the pair "in a van. He believed (they were) doing things that they were not supposed to do."

According to a search warrant obtained after the arrest, officers who arrived on the scene at the park found that the young girl's clothes had been removed from the waist down. Officers immediately arrested the man for rape. The man had allegedly met the girl in a chat room on the internet. The two had agreed that they should meet and set the location at Mock Park in Columbus, Ohio.

The Pennsylvania man was later charged with five counts of rape, gross sexual imposition and importuning arising from the incident in the park and the events leading up to it. The man had been a registered sex offender in Pennsylvania for soliciting a minor online and possession of child pornography. He was incarcerated in federal prison for 30 months as part of his sentence before he was released.

Police say that the investigation into the incident has not concluded and they believe that the young girl from Ohio may not be the only victim.

Source: 10TV.com "Out-Of-State Sex Offender Accused In Rape Of Girl, 12" 11/24/10