Convicted Columbus rapist charged with sexual assault of a minor 11 years later

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A convicted sex offender from north Columbus appeared in court again to face sexual battery charges.

Daniel Lugo Jr., 29, who was convicted of rape in 2010, is facing new charges of sexual battery and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, which were filed on March 5.

According to a Franklin County Municipal Court affidavit, Lugo assaulted the 15-year-old victim at 4:15 a.m. on March 5, in North Linden. After the assault, the victim said Lugo left. She texted her boyfriend and was later picked up by her mother to notify the police.

Lugo told a Sexual Assault Unit sergeant that he had been drinking and didn’t remember anything happening. Security camera footage from a neighbor’s home showed Lugo leaving the home and throwing something in a trash can. Police discovered a pair of men’s underwear in the trash can and determined they had probable cause to collect forensic evidence from Lugo to match the evidence from the examination of the victim.

Lugo is a registered Tier III sex offender. That level is for a person who has been convicted of, or pleaded guilty to, a sexually oriented offense punishable by imprisonment for more than one year. For his new charges, Lugo was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday, but the case is now being taken up in Franklin County Common Pleas Court.

While living in Reynoldsburg, he was convicted of rape in 2010 and was sentenced to five years in prison, plus five years of post-release control after he pleaded guilty in 2012.