Man accused of sexually assaulting child in Ohio discount store restroom 3 days after being released from prison

WARREN COUNTY, Ohio (TCN) -- A man has been charged and designated a sexually violent predator by a grand jury after allegedly sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl in the bathroom of a Five Below store.

According to court records obtained by KSLA , 37-year-old Robert Kevin DeWeese attempted to rape a child in the restroom at the discount retailer on Feb. 6.

The child’s mother was 30 or 40 feet away at the time of the incident. She had left the restroom to get a change of pants for the child. She created a special knock for the child to let her know she had returned and to open the door. DeWeese allegedly listened and then used this knock to get into the bathroom to sexually assault her, KSLA reports. 

DeWeese fled when the child scared him off by roaring like a lion, a technique she had learned about in Scouts, WLWT reports. Her mother then called 911 to report the attack. DeWeese was arrested about a mile from the store at a relative’s house.

According to an indictment in Warren County Common Pleas Court, DeWeese was charged with two counts of gross sexual imposition, two counts of rape, abduction, and kidnapping. Grand jurors in the indictment specified that DeWeese is a sexually violent predator, given the victim’s age and DeWeese’s previous convictions.

At his arraignment, Assistant Prosecutor for Warren County Jennifer Nicholson said DeWeese does not have an address or a job. He had been released from prison three days prior to the incident at the Five Below store, according to WLWT.

DeWeese has a criminal record going back 20 years, WLWT reports. His first conviction was at age 18 for gross sexual imposition. Court records obtained by the outlet show additional sex crimes in three other Ohio counties.

DeWeese’s bond was set at $1 million, WLWT reports.