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Man wanted for child rape in Ashtabula County arrested in Florida

Matthew Rutter is accused of raping a minor and having sexual contact with a minor from January of 2017 through January of 2019.

OCALA, Fla. — A 29-year-old man accused of committing child rape over a two-year period in Ashtabula County has been arrested in Florida.

According to the U.S. Marshals Service, 29-year-old Matthew Rutter was arrested by members of the US Marshals, Florida-Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force on Tuesday morning. Rutter had been wanted on a charge of rape and rape and three counts of gross sexual imposition.

Rutter, who members of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force had been searching for since July 2022, is accused of raping a minor and having sexual contact with a minor from January of 2017 through January of 2019. During their investigation, task force members were led to believe that Rutter had fled Ashtabula County and headed south, although he was spotted in Pennsylvania and West Virginia before finally being arrested after being found hiding in an Astro van in the Ocala National Forest.

“We will never stop pursuing those that are accused of harming children, and this is another example of the nationwide reach of the US Marshals Service. No matter where these dangerous fugitives run to, we will find them," U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said in a statement.

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