Girard man gets consecutive life without parole terms for child rape

A Trumbull County judge on Thursday sentenced a Girard man to two consecutive life-without-parole prison sentences after a jury on Wednesday found him guilty of seven rape counts and one gross sexual imposition felony.

Judge Cynthia Rice pronounced the verdict as the two victims and their family looked on in the Common Pleas courtroom.

Nicholas Clark received the maximum sentence

Nicholas Clark, 31, was given the maximum sentence after being convicted of raping two male relatives beginning when they were age 7 and 9 at residences in Girard and Niles.

A handcuffed Clark was taken by sheriff deputies out of the courtroom after the sentencing hearing. He was also labeled a Tier 3 sexual offender.

Assistant Prosecutor Diane Barber, who represented the state at trial, said she was p eased with the consecutive life without parole sentences.

“I was well pleased with Judge Rice’s decision. She made sure that this kind of thing will never happen again at the hands of this defendant,” Barber said. “This man violated the trust of a family.”

Both victims, as well as their parents, prepared impact statements for the judge prior to sentencing. One victim read his statement during the hearing.

Both boys, now ages 15 and 13, testified at trial about the years of sexual abuse delivered by Clark who lived with them on two separate occasions, the last time ending in January 2022.

Barber also called the boys’ parents to the stand along with Niles police detective Capt. John Marshall and a nurse practitioner working for the Child Advocacy Center at Akron’s Children Hospital. Jurors took a little more than four hours in deliberations.