Man charged with child rape faces extradition hearing
A member of the Greene County Children and Youth Services advisory board is facing charges that he raped and sexually assaulted a young boy on a regular basis over a four-year-period beginning in 2009, state police allege.
John Robert Lohr, 56, of Carmichaels was charged with rape, two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, corruption of minors and indecent assault.
Lohr, who is being held in the North Central Regional Jail in Fairmont, W.Va., is scheduled for an extradition hearing Monday in Marion County Court.
Trooper William Brown said that Lohr sexually assaulted the child on a consistent basis beginning around Halloween in 2009 until Aug. 14 when the child reported the abuse to Lohr’s wife.
Brown said that on Aug. 14 the alleged victim, now 13, told Lohr’s wife that Lohr had sexually assaulted him on dozens of occasions at Lohr’s residence.
After the incident was reported to police, Brown said the boy told investigators that he was sexually assaulted by Lohr at Lohr’s home in the living room, bathroom, dining room and a bedroom.
Brown said that additional assaults occurred at Big Bear Camp ground in West Virginia in a bathhouse and a shed.
The child told police that at least two times a week Lohr would initiate sexual contact with him, normally between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.
The boy told police that Lohr would wait until others at his home were asleep and then perform sexual acts with the child, Brown said.
The child told police that when the last assault occurred, he had tied blankets around him in an attempt to dissuade Lohr.
Brown said that the boy also told investigators that Lohr would threaten him with a kitchen knife during some of the encounters and also threatened to kill the child’s siblings if he reported the abuse.
The Greene County Messenger does not identify the victims of alleged sexual assault.
Brown said that Lohr admitted to the sexual abuse when his wife confronted him and told police that her husband remained calm and subdued.
Lohr told his wife that he had not had sexual contact with any other children but did admit to using public bathrooms to engage in sexual encounters with other men, Brown said.
Brown said that Lohr asked his wife to give him an hour to collect himself before she called police. Brown said that Lohr’s wife complied with his request and went to her daughter’s residence near their home.
While on her daughter’s porch, Lohr’s wife said she saw her husband flee their residence in their vehicle and she immediately called police because she was worried Lohr might try and harm himself.
Lohr, who was taken into police custody by police the following day in Ohiopyle State Park where he attempted to commit suicide, police said.
Brown said that Lohr and his wife, who have been married for 38 years, have three adult children together. For the last 10 years the couple has raised foster children, Brown said.
Lohr is the vice chairman of the Greene County CYS advisory board.
Greene County officials declined to comment on his arrest.