Ohio’s Rep. Lukens Indicted on Sex Count

U.S. Rep. Donald E. Lukens, a conservative Republican, was indicted Thursday on a misdemeanor charge of having sex with a teen-age girl.

The 58-year-old congressman, who is divorced, denied the allegation.

The charge stems from a meeting, secretly videotaped by a television station, between Lukens and the girl’s mother. She contended that Lukens paid for sex with her daughter four years ago, when the girl was 13 years old, and again last November.

The four-term congressman was charged with contributing to the unruliness and delinquency of a child. The offense carries a maximum penalty of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

A state grand jury accused him of having sex with the girl on Nov. 6, when she was 16, in his Columbus apartment. The girl is now 17.

In a statement issued in Washington, Lukens said: “I do categorically deny that I contributed to the delinquency and unruliness of a minor at any time, and I further categorically deny the accuracy of the alleged facts upon which the charge was apparently based. I am innocent of the charge brought forth today.”

Lukens, who is from Middletown, about 30 miles north of Cincinnati, and represents a rural district, said he was “pleased that the grand jury found no evidence for the basis of serious charges.”

The House Ethics Committee, which has jurisdiction over allegations of wrongdoing by lawmakers, typically waits for the outcome before taking any action in cases in which members have been charged in court. A criminal conviction does not automatically bar a lawmaker from sitting in Congress.

Franklin County Prosecutor Michael Miller said that he had recommended a charge different from the one returned, but he would not elaborate.

Miller said also that he had recommended an additional charge against Lukens for an alleged incident in 1985, when the girl was 13. Grand jurors determined that there was insufficient evidence because of conflicting testimony from the girl, he said.

No date for a court appearance by Lukens was set.