Former Ohio Mayor Richard Keenan Believes 4-Year-Old Rape Victim Was ‘Willing’

Richard Keenan – a former Ohio mayor – has been indicted on rape charges after he confessed to being intimate with a child. Keenan claims the 4-year-old girl he had sex with was a “willing participant” in the sexual act.

The court records which were filed on Monday describe a number of conversations with Richard Keenan and his wife as well as a pastor where he opened up about the alleged assaults. These assaults occurred for more than two years. They began back in 2013 when his victim was just 4-years-old.

The 65-year-old former mayor of Ohio has previously described himself as a man of faith, according to The Washington Post. Last month, he was indicted on eight counts of gross sexual imposition, four counts of attempted rape, and eight counts of rape.

The court documents reveal it was the former mayor of Ohio’s wife who first confronted him when the girl started talking about the abuse. Richard almost immediately admitted to his sexual relationship with the young girl to his wife.

After admitting to his wife what had happened, he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital called Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren, Ohio. During group discussions at the hospital, he revealed that he had been sexually abusing a young child for two years. After being released from the psychiatric hospital, he was admitted to River Bend Treatment Center where he told the social worker at the center he felt suicidal. He claimed to feel suicidal because of his actions. He also told the social worker the young girl was a “willing participant” in the sexual acts.

According to court records, Keenan discussed the alleged abuse in great detail with his local pastor. He talked to the pastor about the abuse starting when the child walked in on him while he was in the bathroom. The Washington Post reports it is unclear how the former Ohio mayor and the child knew each other.

During a phone conversation with his brother and sister-in-law, Keenan told them he had “gone way over the line.”

Based on the court records, the alleged crimes are believed to have started back in September of 2013. This would have been nearly two years after Keenan had left the mayor’s office in the small town of Hubbard. The sexual assaults ended in September of 2015.

He was arrested on August 18 and released on bond the very same day, according to jail records. Despite multiple attempts from several media outlets, J. Gerald Ingram, the former Ohio mayor’s attorney, has not been reached for a comment regarding these crimes.

Raw Story reports spouses in the state of Ohio do have the option of testifying against their spouse if they choose to do so under state law. Pastors, however, cannot be compelled to testify under Ohio state law if the confessions Richard made to the pastor were confidential statements made directly to the pastor.

After pleading not guilty last month, Richard Keenan is scheduled to stand trial in April for his alleged crimes. Today, he remains free on a $75,000 bond. In addition to briefly being a mayor for the state of Ohio, he also served on the City Council during the 1990s. He even worked as a probation officer for a period of time.

Raw Story goes on to report that Keenan may face a life sentence if he is convicted of his crime.

Do you believe this man of faith should be out on bail after raping a 4-year-old girl for two years and blaming it on the fact that she was a “willing participant” or do you think this man should be behind bars for his crimes?

[Featured Image by Trumbull County Police Department]