A Marion County, Ohio jury returned a guilty verdict against Mark Kelley on July 1, 2026, following a two-day trial in the Marion County Court of Common Pleas [1]. The case proceeded to trial on two counts: first-degree rape and third-degree gross sexual imposition, both arising from the sexual assault of a four-year-old child [1]. No counts were dismissed before the jury deliberated, and the panel convicted on all charges presented [1].
Prosecutors from the Marion County Prosecutor's Office, John Scott and Parker Schwartz, tried the case before Judge Todd Anderson [1]. The trial spanned two days, and the jury returned its verdict without a hung count or partial acquittal [1]. Upon receiving the verdict, Judge Anderson remanded Kelley to custody [1].
Sentencing has not yet been scheduled [1]. Under Ohio law, a conviction for first-degree rape of a victim under age thirteen carries the potential for a life sentence under the state's enhanced sentencing provisions for child victims [1]. The gross sexual imposition conviction adds an additional felony of the third degree to the sentencing calculus.
No post-trial motions or appeal filings were reported in the source material as of the verdict date. Kelley remains in custody pending the sentencing hearing.