The defendant, Danny M. McFadden, 76, of Ravenna, is facing a total of 28 counts of sex-related crimes involving a girl who was as young as five when the alleged abuse began. The charges, which span a time frame from November 2017 to May 2025, include 17 counts of first-degree felony rape. McFadden has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Prosecution: ‘She’s going to have the courage’
Assistant Prosecutor Gabe Wildman told the jury during his opening statement that the girl will courageously share details of the abuse, which he alleges occurred repeatedly in family homes when she was alone with the defendant.
Wildman detailed how the girl finally reported the abuse to a 13-year-old friend in May 2025, and that friend helped her report it to a school resource officer, which initiated the criminal investigation. The prosecution plans to call the girl’s parents and friends to the stand, along with two women who will testify that McFadden inappropriately touched them years ago, as “other acts” evidence.
Defense Argues ‘He Said, She Said’ Case
Defense attorneys Edward Hartwig Jr. and Joseph R. Ohlin are representing McFadden. In his opening statement, Hartwig told the jury that his client denies all charges, framing the case as a difficult “he said, she said” scenario.
Hartwig emphasized that the jury will not see DNA evidence, videos, or admissions from the defendant, suggesting that the prosecution’s case lacks corroborating evidence for the main claims.
The trial is being held before Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice. McFadden is being held in the Portage County jail due to a reported conflict of interest with an employee at the Trumbull County jail.