Columbus Teen Accused Of Raping Boy At Hilltop Library

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A West Side teen is accused of raping a 10-year-old boy at the Hilltop Branch Library Tuesday.

Michael Hill, 19, has been charged with gross sexual imposition, kidnapping and rape in connection with a 10-year-old boy, according to court records.

The alleged molestation happened at about 5 p.m. Tuesday in a restroom at the Hilltop Branch Library, 511 S. Hague Ave., according to Columbus police.

The boy was at the library with his older sister.

Columbus Library spokesperson Kim Snell said both Hill and the boy apparently headed toward the restroom area.

Library personnel told NBC4 surveillance video shows the victim and Hill walking through the library. The video also shows the two as they walk to a restroom door near the front of the building. They said it was unclear if the child was followed into the bathroom or if he was enticed to go inside.

Snell told NBC4 what happened inside the restrooms was unclear. Another male walked into the restroom, saw something and brought the child to the library desk, Snell said. She said library staff immediately called Columbus police.

Hill was apprehended in the area of the library, Snell said.

Snell said two security officers were at the library, as there always are.

"It's just a very unfortunate incident, and this is the first time this has ever happened at one of our library locations," Snell said. "Protocol was followed, but we are reviewing it to see if we are doing everything humanly possible to stop this from happening in the future."

"It kind of scared me in a way knowing that I have kids and they like to come here," said library patron Tony Tucker. Tucker said he goes to the library as many as three times a week.

Two weeks ago, surveillance video caught two teens leaving the same Hilltop Branch. Moments later at a bus stop, police said those two teens hit another teen on the head with a brick and stole two laptops. That incident happened off library property.

"It is very rare to have a violent occurrence in or around the library," Snell said. "It just is unfortunate that it happened at the same location in such a short amount of time."

"You don't expect that kind of thing to happen at a public library," said Jeff Turner who lives on the West Side.

"What can you do," Turner asked. "The doors are public. They open in and out, and they're not checking anybody. You don’t have to get strip-searched to go to the public library. I hope it doesn’t come to that."

"I bring my little girl in here all the time," Tucker said. "It's just like I’ve got to keep my eye on her at all times now because of that."

Hill, of Ogden Avenue, remains in the Franklin County jail.

He was arraigned on the charges Wednesday and given a $100,000 bond. Conditions of bond included staying away from the incident location, staying away from the alleged victim, and no further acts of violence.

The gross sexual imposition is a third-degree felony charge. The rape is a first-degree felony charge. The kidnapping charge's degree was not listed in court records.

The boy was taken to Nationwide Children's Hospital for an evaluation Wednesday night.

It is NBC4's policy not to identify sexual-abuse victims.

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