Miami County man charged with rape ruled incompetent for trial, for now

Church, 26, will be evaluated further at Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital, remains out on bond
ajc.com

TROY — A Troy man charged with rape and other offenses was found incompetent to stand trial due to an inability to understand proceedings and participate in his defense, a Miami County judge ruled Wednesday.

Isaiah Church, 26, was indicted by a Miami County grand jury on one count each of rape and compelling prostitution and four counts of gross sexual imposition for alleged acts between November 2019 and January 2020 in Piqua. He is accused of engaging in sexual conduct with a person under age 13 and paying the person to engage in the sexual activity.

Judge Stacy Wall said in Common Pleas Court that an examiner at the Western Ohio Forensic Psychiatry Center said Church is incompetent to stand trial, but that the examiner further said Church possibly can be rehabilitated.

With that finding, Wall said Church will be referred to the Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital in Lima for further evaluation and assessment.

Church remains on a recognizance bond with conditions that he has no unsupervised contact with juveniles, does not engage in online video gaming and reports in person to the court services office every week.

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