Florida man not guilty

SANDUSKY — A Florida man was recently acquitted of sex crimes involving a child. Jason Likes, 47, of Gulf Breeze, Fla., was indicted in May 2022 with six counts of rape and four counts of gross sexual imposition. Due to the age of the victim at the time of the alleged offenses, Likes faced a life sentence if he was convicted. On June 12, an Erie County jury found him not guilty on all counts. Likes was accused of assaulting a minor over the course of six years starting in 2007, according to the indictment. The victim was said to have been assaulted in a home in the 3300 block of Hayes Ave. (Ohio 4), according to Perkins police Det. Joseph Rotuno. Detectives began an investigation when the victim came forward in 2020. Likes was represented by attorneys Kenneth Bailey and Alonda Bush. "Rape is a terrible crime," Bailey said. "Rape of a child is probably the worst crime there is. What is a greater crime, though, is a false allegation of rape." Bailey said false allegations can occur for any of several reasons, but it should not require a jury trial for justice to prevail. "Fortunately, Mr. Likes was innocent and leaders in our community served as jurors to push back against injustice," Bailey said. The case was prosecuted for the state by Mark Mulligan, an assistant prosecutor for Erie County. "While we are disappointed with the jury's verdict, we respect the process and the role of the jury in our justice system," Mulligan said. Mulligan said the case was difficult to prosecute due to the significant delay between the time of the alleged crimes and when the victim reported them. "We remain committed to seeking justice for survivors and thank those who have the courage to come forward," Mulligan said, referring to victims of sexual assault.