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Carmichaels man facing extradition

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CARMICHAELS – An extradition hearing will be held Monday in Marion County Court, W.Va., for the man accused of allegedly raping a young boy placed in his care by Greene County Children and Youth Services.

John Robert Lohr, 56, of 671 Ceylon Road, Carmichaels, is being held in North Central Regional jail in Fairmont, W.Va., on a fugitive warrant from Greene County, claiming he allegedly raped and forced the young boy to perform sexual acts over a four-year period. Lohr is a member of the CYS advisory board and the board of Greene Arc Inc. of Prosperity.

When confronted by family members Aug. 18 with the allegations, Lohr fled after first asking them to give him an hour before police were called. After he was missing for 24 hours, Lohr’s family, concerned he may try to harm himself, called 911. He was found Aug. 19 by park rangers inside a vehicle he had driven to Ohiopyle State Park.

Trooper William Brown of Pennsylvania State Police said Lohr ran a hose from the tailpipe into the vehicle in an attempt to commit suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. He was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh, where he recovered from the attempt. Several days later, Lohr was sent to the behavioral medicine unit at Fairmont General Hospital in Fairmont, W.Va., where West Virginia authorities eventually arrested him Aug. 29 as a fugitive.

The arrest was the result of charges filed Aug. 22 against Lohr before Greene County Magisterial District Judge Lee Watson for rape by forcible compulsion, two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, corruption of minors and indecent assault.

The allegations against Lohr were made Aug. 18 at the state police barracks in Waynesburg. According to a criminal complaint filed by Brown, Lohr allegedly held a knife to the boy’s throat, held him down, threw him into a chair, and forced him to participate in sexual acts on numerous occasions from October, 2009 to Aug. 14, 2013. The boy told police attacks occurred at Lohr’s residence and at Big Bear Lake Campground in Bruceton Mills, W.Va. The boy told Brown that Lohr threatened to kill him and his family members if he told anyone.

Brown said he did not expect charges to be filed in West Virginia for the alleged assaults that occurred there. He said they anticipate Lohr being brought back to Pennsylvania Monday for a preliminary hearing before Watson.

“It will hopefully be the same day but it depends on the time of day the hearing is held,” he said. “If it isn’t that day then it will be the next day.”

Greene County District Attorney Marjorie Fox said this also depends on whether Lohr waives extradition.

“If he doesn’t waive extradition then an application for a governor’s warrant will be made,” she said.

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