Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Man acquitted of child rape is convicted of endangerment
The jury deliberated for about seven hours before reaching a verdict.
YOUNGSTOWN — A seven-woman, five-man jury has acquitted a city man of rape, felonious assault and a felony-level child-endangering charge in which the alleged victim was a 2-year-old girl.
However, the same jury convicted Ronald L. Henderson, 29, of Parkview Avenue, of a misdemeanor child-endangering charge involving the same girl.
Henderson, who was arrested in May 2006 in Cleveland and remains on house arrest, faces probation to six months in jail when he is sentenced.
The jury rendered its verdict Tuesday after about seven hours of deliberations at the end of a weeklong trial before Judge Timothy E. Franken of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
The child was taken to Forum Health Tod Children's Hospital on Jan. 8, 2006, with facial injuries and bruises on her legs and abdomen and on the bottom of her feet. After hospital staff discovered the girl had internal injuries, including bleeding, she was flown to Akron Children's Hospital.
Henderson's girlfriend, Genelle White, 26, of Dogwood Lane, who is the girl's mother, pleaded guilty to child endangering and obstructing justice and testified against Henderson. White faces probation to a year in prison when she is sentenced.
Dawn Krueger, assistant Mahoning County prosecutor, said White waited too long to seek medical attention for her daughter, who suffered a cut liver, bruised pancreas and broken pelvis. The prosecution is recommending probation for White because of her testimony against Henderson, Krueger said.
Had Henderson been convicted of the rape charge, he would have faced an automatic life prison term because the alleged victim was less than 10 years old, Krueger said.
Krueger said Henderson likely was jailed six months awaiting court action on this case before he was put on house arrest, and he will likely be sentenced to the jail time he has already served.
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