Norwalk man indicted on rape, child sex crimes

NORWALK — A grand jury recently indicted a Norwalk man on 20-plus felony sex charges against a child, including rape. On June 5, Huron County grand jurors indicted Christopher R. Linn, 31, of the 100 block of South Linwood Ave., on the following charges: • Eight counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, each a fourth-degree felony • Five counts of illegal use of a minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance, each a second-degree felony • Five counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, each a third-degree felony • Three counts of rape, each a first-degree felony • Three counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person, each a second-degree felony • One count of complicity in the commission of an offense, a third-degree felony Norwalk police arrested Linn on a warrant on Monday and booked him into the Huron County Jail on those charges. According to Linn's indictment, the alleged crimes occurred between October 2023 and this past January. Linn allegedly engaged in "sexual conduct" with a child by "force or threat of force." He also reportedly created, reproduced or published "obscene material" of children, the indictment states. As of late Wednesday, Linn remains inside the Huron County Jail on a $150,000 bond, according to jail records. Huron County Common Pleas Court records do not indicate when another hearing is scheduled in his case. The investigation into Linn began on Jan. 13 when a Bellevue police officer asked to speak with a supervisor from Norwalk police regarding a welfare check he had responded to, according to a Norwalk police report. The Bellevue officer spoke with the supervisor by phone and explained that he had been advised that a child had reported to a counselor that they had "sexual intercourse" with Linn, the report states.