Proctorville man faces 51 counts involving juvenile females

 

A jury will is scheduled to be seated in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court Monday for the first-degree rape trial of a Proctorville man.

Don Copley, of 1518 County Road 70, Proctorville, faces 51 counts of first-degree rape of four females who were under the age of 13 at the time of the alleged incidents.

Judge Charles Cooper will preside over the trial that is expected to last a week. Copley retained Columbus-based attorney Robert Krapence to represent him.

In March, Copley, as well as his wife Beverly Copley, voluntarily turned themselves into authorities after learning of the indictments against them issued by a Lawrence County Grand Jury in late February.

Beverley Copley is charged with 41 counts of first-degree complicity to rape. A trial has not yet been set to hear her case. Beverly Copley hired attorney Sterling Gill, also of Columbus.

The indictment against Don Copley alleges 10 incidents with one victim took place between 1991 and 1997. It alleges 20 incidents took place with the second child between 1991 and 1996.

Copley is accused of criminal activity with the third child 10 times between 1993 and 1996 and 10 more times between 1996 and 2001. The last indictment alleges one act with the fourth child sometime between June and August of 2011.

The couple faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole if convicted of the charges.