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Man admits to sex abuse of girls

Daily Record, The (Wooster, OH) - 5/9/2015

WOOSTER -- The mother of two girls who were sexually molested by a Wooster man 15 years ago pleaded for the court to help bring an end to her daughters' "nightmare."

"He stole their innocence before they even knew to be afraid," the victims' mother said Thursday. And a short time later, her wishes came true.

Joshua Robert Ewing, 29, of 9558 Ashland Road, was sentenced to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty in Wayne County Common Pleas Court to two charges of gross sexual imposition.

Judge Mark K. Wiest said because the crimes took place before the sexual offender law was rewritten, Ewing will be required to register under the previous law's provisions. He said Ewing will be required to register for 10 years as a sexually-oriented offender, and not as a tier-classified sex offender under the current law.

Ewing, a West Point graduate, apologized in court Thursday for his actions.

"I'm extremely remorseful for my actions," he said, and added he is not the same man he was when the actions occurred.

Wiest noted 23 friends, family and even a former coach concurred with that assessment by sending letters describing the man he has grown into.

The victims' mother noted she was "shocked" at how many people wrote letters in support of Ewing.

"All of the accomplishments in the world don't justify what (Ewing) did," she said, adding he made the girls believe the actions were their faults.

But the judge, admittedly convinced he had changed his ways, still took into account the toll Ewing's "depraved" actions had on his victims.

"In this case you made a decision ... I disagree this was a mistake," Wiest said, as many of Ewing's supporters noted in their letters. "A 16-year-old young man knows you don't touch 5-year- olds. ... there are few crimes so despicable as the sexual abuse of a child."

The judge added the two girls were placed in Ewing's care, a relationship he abused and violated.

The charges stem from an investigation launched by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office in September 2013 after allegations came to light Ewing sexually assaulted the two juvenile girls between 2002 and 2004. Today, the girls are both teenagers. Their mother said one of them has been engaged in therapy for three years and diagnosed with PTSD and depression from this incident.

Capt. Doug Hunter noted an investigation was opened after the two girls, who are sisters, came forward about the incidents.

The girls said Ewing, who was a family friend, sexually assaulted them multiple times when he would baby-sit them.

At the time of the incidents, one of the girls would have been between 4 and 7 years old, the other would have been 8 to 10 years old. Today, they are 20 and 17.

Ewing would have been 17-19 years old during this time frame.

According to court documents, Ewing enlisted in the United States military following his graduation from West Point Military Academy in New York. Ewing served a tour overseas and was stationed in Georgia, which is where he was picked up without incident on the arrest warrant issued once he was indicted on the charges.

Reporter Steve Huszai can be reached at 330-287-1645 or shuszai@the-daily-record.com. He is @GeneralSmithie on Twitter.