Man facing life in prison if convicted of sex charges with children

A Defiance man could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted on sexual abuse charges he’s facing in Defiance County Common Pleas Court.
43-year-old Russell Detwiler II pleaded not guilty to three counts of felony rape and four counts of felony gross sexual imposition. The DA says Detwiler had sexual contact with a female child under the age of 10 over about two years beginning in August 2013.
A pretrial hearing was scheduled for May 3 and bond was set at $1 million.
The charges also allege that he had sexual contact with a second female child who was under the age of 13 years at the time.
Due to the youngest victim’s age, the three rape charges carry a potential penalty of life imprisonment without parole.