PICKAWAY COUNTY, OH — A two-day civil jury trial concluded on Friday, May 30, 2025, at the Pickaway County Court of Common Pleas, with Judge Matthew H. Chafin presiding, as reported on Monday, June 2, 2025, at 2:01 PM EDT. The plaintiff, represented by Attorney Brian Stewart, sued Michael Grashel, represented by Attorney James Kingsley, for damages stemming from sex crimes committed against her between the ages of five and ten. The court had previously determined Grashel’s civil liability for multiple charges, including rape, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The jury, tasked with determining the compensation amount, heard testimony from the victim, now in her early thirties, and her husband, who both described the lifelong impact of the abuse. Grashel, currently incarcerated for crimes against the plaintiff and another child victim, did not attend or testify. After 35 minutes of deliberation, the jury awarded $400,000 in compensatory damages and $200,000 in punitive damages, totaling $600,000. Grashel was also ordered to pay the plaintiff’s attorney fees.
Grashel’s criminal history includes a 2022 conviction in Pickaway County, where the 53-year-old from 2630 Kingston Pike, Circleville, was sentenced to 48-50 years for charges like illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material and pandering obscenity involving a minor. The joint investigation by the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office, Scioto County Sheriff’s Office, Columbus Police Department, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began after reports on February 17, 2021, of sexual assaults across Scioto, Pickaway, and Franklin Counties. Grashel, arrested on April 13, 2021, after a search uncovered a copious amount of child pornography, faces parole at age 102, likely spending his life in prison.
