Groveport man pleads guilty, sentenced in rape of two girls ages 6 and 7
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A Groveport man will spend the at least 14 years in prison after a guilty plea involving the rape of two children.
Court records state that on May 16, 2023, Robert Burns coaxed two girls, ages 6 and 7, to perform and engage in sex acts with him. The victims reported the incidents to police that evening, with one of the girls reporting it was not the first time Burns had sexually abused her.
Evidence collected as part of a police investigation and that of a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner at Nationwide Children’s Hospital corroborated the victims’ statement, resulting the arrest of Burns. He was charged with two counts of rape and was issued a $200,000 bond at an arraignment hearing.
Charges were updated in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas to include four counts of rape and one count of pandering sexual material involving a minor.
Burns, 30, changed his plea from not guilty to guilty in September and on Friday he was sentenced to 14-to-17 years in prison based on a joint prison recommendation between the prosecution and defense counsel.