Marysville man, 82, to spend 24 years in prison for child sex abuse
MARYSVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) - A convicted child sex abuser will likely spend the rest of his life in prison.
Garry Lee Giles, 82, plead guilty to five felony counts of gross sexual imposition after he was indicted for rape, gross sexual imposition, and distribution of pornography in Jan. 2024.
"He'll be 106 years old before he can get out of prison,” Union County Prosecutor David Phillips said. “We don't think he's going to make it out and really, that's our goal. This case is particularly disturbing because not only was it a no remorse, but he really tended to blame the kids for everything.”
Phillips has been lead prosecutor in Union County since 2005. He's led the prosecution of many child sex abuse cases, but this one stands out because of the defendant's behavior.
"One of the particularly disturbing things, from my perspective, is his focus on blaming the children,” Phillips said. “He, repeatedly to the detective, even the pre-sentence investigation blame the children for this. Now we're talking between 5 and 9 years old.”
Phillips said at least three other alleged victims of Giles came forward during the investigation. They accused Giles of sexual abuse dating back at least 45 years. Phillips believes he got away with the abuse until now, including the two victims who came forward last year, since 2019.
"Sometimes in the inter-family situations, it's not reported or it's not even if it is reported, it's not disclosed to authorities," Phillips said.
He had this advice for parents to teach their children, empowering them to stand up for themselves. He calls it the "No. Go. Tell" method.
"Say no, go leave the situation if they're able to do so, and then tell a trusted adult as soon as something happens,” Phillips said. “That's something that's easy for kids to remember. Yeah. No, Go and Tell.”
How does an alleged abuser go unchecked for so long? Dr. Kristin Crichton with Nationwide Children's Hospital has been working with child sex abuse victims and survivors for about 15 years. She said the biggest thing when it comes to child sexual abuse is belief.
"It may come out slowly and it may not fully make sense, but the most important thing for children that have experienced sexual abuse is that the person that they tell believes them,” Crichton said. “Ask open-ended questions and believe what they tell you. Try and always be a safe space for your child to come to. So, you know, as a parent, making sure the kids know that they're not going to get in trouble if they're seeking help or if they're seeking guidance. We know from research that the best way to help kids recover from abuse is to have a supportive environment.”
Crichton said what parents can look for in their children to tell if something may be off. She said there are often signs of abuse and it starts with behavior.
"The biggest one to look for is a change in behavior,” she said. “So, a lot of times kids will start kind of withdrawing from regular daily activities. They may appear scared or anxious. They can also kind of seem depressed. Alternatively, some kids may act out. A child not telling right away is, is unfortunately very common. It can take days, weeks, months, even years for children to be able to explain what happened to them."
Crichton agrees with Phillips’ “No. Go. Tell.” method. She said setting boundaries for your children is important, as well as empowering them to make decisions about their bodies.
"Even if the child is being approached by an adult that wants to give them a hug, if a kid doesn't want a hug, it's okay to say no," she said.
The data surrounding child sexual abuse is startling. Crichton said, "We know that over 90% of perpetrators of child sexual abuse are known to the child. So, not a stranger, someone they know. And about 35% are a relative.”
Experts suggest calling law enforcement or child protective services immediately if a child reports sexual abuse.