Robert Deweese, a 37-year-old man with a long history of sex offenses, is facing new charges after allegedly assaulting a 6-year-old girl inside a Five Below store in South Lebanon, Ohio, just three days after his release from prison.Deweese was arrested last month about a mile away from the South Lebanon strip mall where the alleged assault took place. Investigators say the young girl was with her mother at the store when she had an accident. The mother briefly left her daughter in a locked family restroom to grab a clean pair of pants, instructing her to open the door only upon hearing their special knock. Prosecutors stated that Deweese listened, repeated the knock, and then sexually assaulted the child.The victim’s mother called 911 and said, “My daughter was in the bathroom. She had an accident. I went to see if I could go find her alternate clothing while she was in the bathroom. She says a gentleman knocked on the door and came in and touched her while she was in there, and she yelled help. She yelled for him to stop.”Investigators noted that the girl scared Deweese off by screaming, using the lion’s roar, a technique she learned in Scouts. During his arraignment on Wednesday, Jennifer Nicholson, assistant prosecutor for Warren County, said, “He has no address. He has no job.”Nicholson argued for a high bond, emphasizing that Deweese was out of prison for only three days at the time of the alleged offense. Magistrate Carolyn Besl set bond at $1 million.Court records show Deweese had recently completed a three-year sentence for a parole violation tied to another child sex crime in Fairfield County.WLWT Investigates found that Deweese’s record goes back nearly 20 years, starting with a gross sexual imposition conviction in Clermont County at age 18. Court records show additional sex crimes in Clinton, Licking, and Franklin counties. Rape is the most serious charge Deweese has ever faced. Warren County prosecutor David Fornshell said he hopes a conviction will put him away longer than his past sentences for lesser crimes.

SOUTH LEBANON, Ohio —

Robert Deweese, a 37-year-old man with a long history of sex offenses, is facing new charges after allegedly assaulting a 6-year-old girl inside a Five Below store in South Lebanon, Ohio, just three days after his release from prison.

Deweese was arrested last month about a mile away from the South Lebanon strip mall where the alleged assault took place. Investigators say the young girl was with her mother at the store when she had an accident. The mother briefly left her daughter in a locked family restroom to grab a clean pair of pants, instructing her to open the door only upon hearing their special knock. Prosecutors stated that Deweese listened, repeated the knock, and then sexually assaulted the child.

The victim’s mother called 911 and said, “My daughter was in the bathroom. She had an accident. I went to see if I could go find her alternate clothing while she was in the bathroom. She says a gentleman knocked on the door and came in and touched her while she was in there, and she yelled help. She yelled for him to stop.”

Investigators noted that the girl scared Deweese off by screaming, using the lion’s roar, a technique she learned in Scouts.

During his arraignment on Wednesday, Jennifer Nicholson, assistant prosecutor for Warren County, said, “He has no address. He has no job.”

Nicholson argued for a high bond, emphasizing that Deweese was out of prison for only three days at the time of the alleged offense.

Magistrate Carolyn Besl set bond at $1 million.

Court records show Deweese had recently completed a three-year sentence for a parole violation tied to another child sex crime in Fairfield County.

WLWT Investigates found that Deweese’s record goes back nearly 20 years, starting with a gross sexual imposition conviction in Clermont County at age 18. Court records show additional sex crimes in Clinton, Licking, and Franklin counties.

Rape is the most serious charge Deweese has ever faced. Warren County prosecutor David Fornshell said he hopes a conviction will put him away longer than his past sentences for lesser crimes.