Steubenville School Employee Arrested, Jailed Without Bond For Evidence Tampering in Rape Case

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(CNN) — The small town of Steubenville became a household name for the wrong reasons, thanks to social media, but when two teenage boys were arrested there for the rape of a 16-year-old girl, very few people in the rust-belt town in Ohio were eager to talk.

And someone may have tried to cover up for them. An Ohio school official was jailed Monday without bond after being indicted in connection with the case, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s office.

William Rhinaman, 53, Director of Technology at Steubenville High School, faces four counts, including tampering with evidence, obstructing justice, obstructing official business and perjury in connection with the case, according to Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. Rhinaman was arrested Monday.

If convicted, he could face four years behind bars, more time than the two convicted boys will serve.

Details of the indictment, including what kind of evidence was allegedly tampered with, was not immediately available.

“This is the first indictment in an ongoing grand jury investigation,” DeWine said in a statemen. “Our goal remains to uncover the truth, and our investigation continues.”

Rape conviction

Ma’lik Richmond and Trenton Mays, who were respectively 16 and 17 at the time, made photos and videos their drunken victim in August 2012 and sent them out with lurid text messages. The mix hit social media, attracting the attention of bloggers, who questioned everything from the behavior of the football team to the integrity of the investigation.

In March, Richmond and Mays were convicted after a trial that divided their football-crazed town of less than 20,000 souls.

At the heart of the case was the question of whether the victim, who testified she remembered little, was too drunk to understand what was happening to her and to consent.

Richmond was sentenced to a minimum of one year in a juvenile correctional facility. Mays, who was additionally found guilty of disseminating a nude photo of a minor, got two years.

Silent town

After the two teenagers were convicted, DeWine revealed that 16 people had refused to talk to investigators. A grand jury would determine whether other crimes had been committed.

Rhinaman will be arraigned in Steubenville at the Jefferson County Court House on Wednesday, according to attorney general’s office spokesman Dan Tierney.

“I am aware of the situation and I will get you a press release on Tuesday, ” said Mike McVey, Superintendent for Steubenville City Schools in an email response.

Bob Fitzsimmons, the family attorney representing the 16-year-old victim who was raped told CNN that grand jury’s first indictment is a significant first step.

“I think it’s important that this shows some fruits from the investigative grand jury and also considers the importance of those responsible for reporting and/or preserving evidence after a crime is committed involving a child, in this case a girl 16 years of age,” Fitzsimmons said.

CNN was unable to reach Rhinaman’s attorney for comment Monday.

CNN’s Poppy Harlow, Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt contributed to this report.

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