BLANCHESTER — A Blanchester woman is accused by police of paying children to lie about accusations of rape against a family member.
Blanchester police charged Heather Trenary, 36, of Wilmington, with two misdemeanor counts of complicity to making false alarms after a joint investigation by the Blanchester Police Department and Clinton County Children Services.
In March, Trenary allegedly reported to police that a minor relative of hers had been raped by a male family member in a Blanchester residence, according to Blanchester Police Chief Scott Reinbolt.
During the investigation, Reinbolt said, the alleged victim’s younger brother told investigators he witnessed the alleged rape.
Earlier this month, the investigation was concluded.
“The evidence gathered indicates that the accounts of both rapes were fabricated,” Reinbolt wrote in a prepared statement. “According to witnesses, Trenary offered both children $3 and assured the (minor victim) she could go live with their father if they related the false account of the alleged crimes to investigators.”
Tuesday, Blanchester police charged Trenary with the two charges of complicity to making false alarms, Reinbolt stated.
“The charges allege that Trenary solicited the children to make false reports of criminal activity to police,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, deceptive conduct such as this can unfairly cast a dark shadow of doubt on all such allegations, most of which are based in fact. It is an insult to legitimate victims of sexual assault that someone would perpetrate a fraud such as this.”
