Marion councilman accused of raping girl under 15 gets $500,000 bond in first court hearing

Marion City Council member Ayers Ratliff has been charged with raping a girl under 15 years old, Marion County Prosecutor Ray Grogan said.

Grogan said in a video statement Tuesday that Ratliff had been charged with rape in the Marion Municipal Court. Grogan said he could not release details about the girl due to victim privacy laws but said the girl immediately reported the sexual abuse and the information was relayed to police.

The Marion Police Department received the report at 12:42 p.m. Monday and arrested Ratliff at about 9 p.m., the report says. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation conducted a search warrant at Ratliff's home and recovered both physical and electronic evidence, Grogan said.

Ratliff made his initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon where a judge set his bond at $500,000, according to court records. A spokesperson for the Marion County Prosecutor's Office said Ratliff was being held in the Multi-County Correctional Center, a jail in Marion serving Marion and Harding Counties.

"Mr. Ratliff is a city councilman here in Marion, but like anyone else, he is not above the law," Grogan said. "His alleged crime has nothing to do with his elected position, and he will be treated the same as any other defendant."

Grogan said his office would seek a high bond for Ratliff, as the office would for any violent defendant.

Mayor Bill Collins said the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation would handle the investigation into the allegations against Ratliff. He provided no additional comment on the arrest.

A BCI spokesperson said Marion police requested the agency's assistance with a sexual assault investigation Monday, and the investigation is ongoing.

Ratliff, a Democrat, has served on the Marion City Council since he was first elected in 2005.

bagallion@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Marion City Councilman Ayers Ratliff charged with raping girl under 15