*A Columbus, Ohio man was on Tuesday sentenced to 35 years in jail for sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl, according to an announcement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio. Joseph Gaines, 42, was transporting the girl across multiple states to abuse her sexually.
In November 2021, Gaines pleaded guilty to committing a new offense against a minor as a registered sex offender and transporting a minor interstate with the intention of sexually abusing the victim.
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The court documents indicate that the culprit transported the minor (about seven years old at the time) in the bunk of his semi-truck from Ohio to several other states, while sexually assaulting her repeatedly in the course of the journey.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Gaines was on parole when he committed the assaults. In 2005, he was convicted in Stark County Common Pleas Court of raping a 13-year-old minor in 1998. In 2000, he was convicted in Florida of kidnapping and attempted aggravated assault. In the case, he was accused of approaching a woman on the beach, placing a knife to her throat, and saying, “you’re coming with me.”
