Elyria man on trial for rape of former girlfriend's teenage relative (UPDATED)

This story has been updated to include information about Ashley Lenhart's guilty plea. ELYRIA — A Lorain County Common Pleas jury heard opening statements Monday in the case of an Elyria man who allegedly raped one of his girlfriend's family members. Roger Mincey, 40, of Fifth Street, has pleaded not guilty to 13 felonies including rape, gross sexual imposition, pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, attempted pandering obscenity involving a minor, compelling prostitution and endangering children. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of endangering children. At the same time Mincey allegedly was raping one of her relatives, his girlfriend Ashley Lenhart also was sexually abusing one of Mincey's relatives, jurors in Judge Donna Freeman's courtroom were told. Jurors were told that as far back as 2018 up to 2020, Mincey and Lenhart were raping children in each others' families and talking about it via text message. Assistant Prosecutor Tina Kishman read aloud some of the crude, sexually explicit texts in court. In one text message, Mincey allegedly offered Lenhart money to rape a girl. In another, Mincey told Lenhart he was sexually aroused by how she interacted with a boy relative of his who she allegedly raped. That child told a friend he had sex with Lenhart. The friend told an adult, and word reached the alleged victim's mother. She took her allegations to Elyria police in June 2020, Detective Justin Campana testified Monday. The alleged rape and sexual abuse is "not going to be easy for the children to testify to," Kishman told the jury. She said the allegations would be backed up by digital evidence. The Chronicle-Telegram does not name or identify victims of sexual abuse. A welder who lost his job when he was charged with rape, Mincey is an honorably-discharged veteran with "virtually no criminal record," defense attorney Michael Stepanik said. Stepanik told the jury there was an explanation for some of his client's texts: The girl Mincey allegedly raped has the same first name as a woman Lenhart worked with — an adult woman Mincey wanted to have sex with, his attorney said. All that Mincey and Lenhart did was discuss bringing other adults into their sex life, "never children," Stepanik said. Mincey "did not wake up one day and decide to molest children," the attorney said. The mother of the girl he's accused of raping "hates" Mincey and wanted to see him punished, Stepanik said. Lenhart, he said, searched for illegal pornography including pedophilia and bestiality on the internet. There are no videos or photos that prove or even suggest Mincey and Lenhart filmed the alleged abuse, Stepanik said. Lenhart, 35, of Elyria is expected to testify for the prosecution. She pleaded guilty Oct. 23 to two counts of sexual battery, two counts of gross sexual imposition and one count of complicity to gross sexual imposition, all felonies, and one misdemeanor charge of endangering children, and will be labeled a Tier III sex offender requiring lifetime registration. Sentencing is up to Freeman, and is scheduled for Dec. 19. Lenhart's attorney, Anthony Rich, didn't return a phone message seeking comment. Two counts of rape, one count of complicity in the commission of an offense and one count of endangering children, all felonies, were dismissed as part of the plea agreement. In exchange for the reduced charges, Lenhart agreed to testify "truthfully, accurately and completely" in the case against Mincey. Stepanik told the jury Lenhart admitted sex with a 13-year-old boy. All the allegations against his client are unproven, he said. "It's all a story. We'll never know why it was invented," Stepanik said. Testimony resumes today. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. For sexual assault and abuse crisis services call Riveon Mental Health and Recovery's Sexual Assault Services at (440) 204-4359.