Chillicothe man gets life for rape of 1-year-old

ST. CLAIRSVILLE – A Chillicothe man is serving life in prison after he was found guilty of a sex crime involving a 1-year-old with the girl’s mother.

William Douglas Smith, 40, was found guilty of one count of complicity to commit rape, a first-degree felony, after a jury deliberated several hours after a trial in the Belmont County Court of Common Pleas. Nearly a week later, a Belmont County judge gave him 15 years to life in prison for the crime, which he also called "shocking and disgusting."

According to prosecutors, Smith, another man and the child's mother, participated in the rape of the child via video chat. Prosecutor Dan Fry said Smith gave the child’s mother, 27-year-old Peggy Horstman, instructions on what to do to the child and she carried out the instructions. The incident occurred in the bathroom of Horstman’s home between February and May of this year.

The second man has not yet been identified and no one else has been charged.

Horstman pleaded guilty in July and also received a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. Both were classified as Tier III sex offenders, the highest level in Ohio.

Neither Horstman nor Smith is eligible for parole for 15 years, and if they are released from prison, they must register their addresses with the county sheriff every 90 days for the rest of their lives.

Smith arrived in the prison system on Sept. 23 and is awaiting assignment to a specific prison.