Robert Ellison, a former police officer with various departments in the Greater Cincinnati area, is currently facing accusations of gross sexual imposition involving a minor. Ellison, who is 36, was indicted on three felony counts yesterday, as reported by FOX19. Court records indicate the alleged incidents occurred around Aug. 3. At this time, Ellison was serving as a full-time officer in Williamsburg, not on duty during the occurrences of the alleged crimes.
The indictment comes after a teenage girl claimed that Ellison attempted to assault her sexually. As reported by WCPO, the victim reported being in her car at a live-action role play (LARP) practice when Ellison, off-duty at the time, entered her car without permission, kissing and touching her forcibly. The fear of speaking out against an officer delayed the victim's report, which she eventually did with the support of her mother.
According to a report by WLWT, prosecuting attorney Mark Tekulve stated that Ellison, if convicted on all three counts, could face up to 15 years in prison. Despite the serious nature of the charges, Ellison pleaded not guilty during his initial court appearance. His bond has been set at $100,000, and a pretrial is scheduled for Nov. 14.
Evidence of a troubled professional history also emerged. Ellison reportedly resigned from the Williamsburg Police Department "in good standing" with "no pending discipline" just before beginning work in Elmwood Place, as Chief Randall Newsom told FOX19. Newsom says that Ellison abruptly resigned from the Elmwood Place Police after two weeks, citing "personal reasons."
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has taken over the case to avoid potential conflicts of interest in investigating a former officer from a neighboring jurisdiction. The BCI encourages anyone with relevant information or who may have had a questionable interaction with Ellison to contact them at 855-224-6446.
