Chillicothe man facing 11 charges in Columbus

COLUMBUS — A Chillicothe man was indicted on 11 counts in relation to a series of sexual assaults in Franklin County on Thursday.

Andrew J. Morrison, 52, of 246 Caldwell St., was indicted on five counts of kidnapping, four counts of rape, and two counts of attempted rape, first- and second-degree felony charges, with charges dating back as far as July 15.

Most of the charges also carry sexually violent predator and repeat violent offender specifications, and the kidnapping charge has a sexual motivation specification attached. If convicted, Morrison could have additional time tacked on to his sentence because of those specifications.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said in August that it believed Morrison to be a suspect in seven sexual assaults and attempted sexual assaults in the county. In those incidents, a man convinced women to get into his car, drove them to secluded areas, and sexually assaulted them.

Morrison, a registered sex offender, was arrested Aug. 22 in his home in Chillicothe by the Ross County Missing Persons Task Force on a warrant from Franklin County. Morrison was charged with aggravated menacing and abduction at the time.

T.J. Hollis, head of the local task force, said officers have found no connection to the deaths or disappearances of six Ross County women in the past 18 months but continue investigating any lead.

Twenty-five years ago, Morrison was charged with three counts of rape and one count of kidnapping in Franklin County and served 13 years in prison. He is being held in the Franklin County jail, pending arraignment on the new charges.