Authorities seek convicted felon from Ashtabula County

ASHTABULA — Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, in cooperation with the Ashtabula County Prosecutor and the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office, is requesting assistance from the public in locating 45-year-old Gerald E. Butcher of Conneaut, Ohio.

Butcher, 45, failed to appear for sentencing on Nov. 13 in Ashtabula County Common Pleas Court and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. On Aug. 19, following a three-day jury trial, Butcher was convicted on two counts of rape and two counts of kidnapping stemming from an incident in 1995 involving a four year-old child. Butcher is described as a white male, 5-feet, 7-inches tall, weighing 150 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information that might be helpful in locating Butcher is asked to contact the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office at (440) 576-0055.