MOUNT GILEAD — Morrow County Commissioner Rodney K. Clinger was indicted Tuesday by a special grand jury on felony charges alleging misuse of his county-owned computer. The charges stem from an ongoing investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation related to the Morrow County Firefighters and Squadsmen Association.
Clinger, 56, of Edison, was indicted on one count of unauthorized use of computer or telecommunication property and one count of theft in office, both fifth degree felonies.
The indictment alleges that Clinger used his county-owned computer to download a large volume of sexually oriented material.
The Morrow County Firefighters and Squadsmen Association is a nonprofit organization that provides emergency medical services and 911 dispatch services under a contract with the county commissioners. Earlier this year, indictments were issued by the special grand jury on theft-related charges against former association treasurer Rick L. Weaver and former association accountant Robert A. Moore.
Clinger was issued a summons and is scheduled to appear for arraignment in Morrow County Common Pleas Court on Dec. 29.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Unit is assisting the Richland County Prosecutor’s Office in the cases related to the investigation.
