Convicted felon charged with kidnapping, raping 12-year-old girl for over a year

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By Staff Report

A Zanesville man who is currently serving time for a domestic violence conviction has now been charged with kidnapping and raping a 12-year-old girl.

Justin Newman, now 24-years-old, has been indicted by a Muskingum County grand jury on seven felonies related to the sexual violation of a minor.

According to his indictment, between October 2018 and October 2019, Newman kidnapped and raped the preteenage girl.

The victim was only 12 years old. Newman was 22 at the time.

Appearing for his arraignment Wednesday morning, Newman pleaded not guilty to all charges.

He faces a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.

Newman’s previous criminal past was covered by Y-City News before when he was charged and convicted of beating his mother, girlfriend and their family dog.

In that case, Newman had been arguing with his girlfriend over Facebook, which then escalated into a physical altercation in which he began kicking her multiple times in the back.

At the time, the girlfriend had just recently had back surgery and Newman began to target that portion of her back as he stomped on her repeatedly, Muskingum County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Litle explained in court last year.

Newman’s mother, who lived in a shed in his backyard, was observing the altercation but didn’t intervene until she witnessed Newman begin to also attack the family dog.

According to Litle, the mother later said she didn’t initially get involved because she was okay with Newman beating his girlfriend, as he had beat her before and she would return back home to him.

When the mother did try to intervene, Newman shoved her over, hitting his mother in the back of the head and continued to beat his girlfriend in a fit of rage, Litle continued.

Newman then threatened to kill his mother if anyone called the cops. When the girlfriend ran away to her mother’s house, Newman also threatened to kill the family dog.

For his actions, Muskingum County Judge Mark Fleegle sentenced Newman to 16 months in prison, a term he is currently still serving.