YOUNGSTOWN– The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitives Task Force arrested city man Franklin B. Clark Jr., 51, Thursday afternoon after he was indicted on 12 counts of rape involving four children.

Three of the children are under age 10. Clark could get a life prison sentence if convicted on certain charges. A judge also could sentence Clark to life in prison without eligibility for parole.

Within a short time of a warrant being issued for Clark on Thursday, the task force located him in the 700 block of Brentwood Avenue and took him into custody without incident, the task force stated in a news release.

Clark was taken to the hospital to be checked for a medical condition and then was taken to the Mahoning County jail, where he will be detained until his first court appearance.

“Our team worked quickly along with the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office and Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office to ensure that the suspect was apprehended moments after the warrant was issued,” said Peter Elliott, U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio.

Clark also was indicted on 11 counts of gross sexual imposition involving the same children. The 23 offenses are alleged to have taken place between 2014 and 2019 in Youngstown. Clark’s arraignment date is not known.

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