A 36-year-old Washington C.H. man has been indicted by a Fayette County grand jury on 14 counts of third-degree felony sexual battery.

Charles Oney is accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl for over a year while he was acting as a guardian to the girl, according to Fayette County Sheriff Vernon Stanforth. Oney was not, however, the girl’s legal guardian, according to authorities.

A report was made by Ross County Children Services to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) on Jan. 2 after Oney and the girl were reportedly seen inappropriately touching each other while at Dayton Children’s Hospital. The FCSO launched an investigation and on Feb. 8, Oney was arrested and he allegedly admitted to the sexual conduct.

On March 2, Oney was indicted on the 14 counts of sexual battery and he was arraigned in Fayette County Common Pleas Court on March 7. The jury trial date has been set for April 26.

Each count of sexual battery filed against Oney is a high-tier felony of the third degree punishable by up to 60 months in prison and sexual offender registration, according to the Fayette County Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the Ohio Revised Code, the definition of sexual battery that applies to Oney’s case is: No person shall engage in sexual conduct with another, not the spouse of the offender, when the following applies – The offender is the other person’s natural or adoptive parent, or a stepparent, or guardian, custodian, or person in loco parentis of the other person.

Oney is being held in the Fayette County Jail on a $50,000 bond.