$300K bond set for man in child-rape case

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Bond has been set at $300,000 for a man whose conviction by a jury for raping two young boys was overturned by the 7th District Court of Appeals, which ordered two new trials.

Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court set the bond at $150,000 per accuser for the defendant, Michael Kaufman, 42, of Berkshire Drive, during a Wednesday bond hearing.

Kaufman remains in the county jail pending an 11:30 a.m. May 11 status hearing.

Saying his client isn’t a flight risk or a threat to the safety of the accusers, Kaufman’s lawyer, John B. Juhasz, asked the judge to reinstate Kaufman’s previous $150,000 bond.

Saying she had no reason to believe Kaufman wouldn’t be convicted again, Dawn Cantalamessa, an assistant county prosecutor, called for a $500,000 bond.

By a 2-1 margin, a three-judge panel of the 7th District Court ordered two new and separate trials for Kaufman, who drew five consecutive life prison terms plus 20 years from Judge Krichbaum.

Saying joining the alleged offenses in one trial was prejudicial to Kaufman, the appeals court ordered that the alleged offenses against each boy be tried separately.

Police said the crimes occurred in Mahoning County between 1995 and 2003, and the victims were male relatives of Kaufman’s between age 8 and 11.

Cantalamessa said the prosecution will appeal the 7th District Court ruling to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Judge Krichbaum said he would wait for a decision from the top court before conducting any new trials.