Seneca County man accused of raping 14-year-old

Bellevue, Ohio — The Seneca County Sheriff’s Office has made an arrest in connection with an alleged sexual assault involving a juvenile that was reported at a residence located on North County Road 29 in Bellevue.

Following the report received on Saturday, May 20, deputies and detectives responded to the incident, executing multiple search warrants on the evening of the alleged assault to gather potential evidence related to the case.

After conducting a thorough investigation and obtaining additional evidence, law enforcement officials sought an arrest warrant for the suspect. Following several attempts to locate the assailant, he ultimately turned himself in to the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office.

The suspect, identified as 55-year-old Frederick C. Podeyn, of Flat Rock, Ohio, has been charged with rape of a 14-year-old child. He appeared before Judge Rhonda Best in Tiffin-Fostoria Municipal Court for his initial hearing and is currently being held at the Seneca County Jail on a $750,000 bond.

Sheriff Fredrick W. Stevens expressed confidence in the success of the investigation, stating, “Based on the facts and circumstances of this entire investigation, I truly believe that Seneca County is safer this evening because this individual is off our streets. The diligent work of our deputies and detectives were instrumental to the success of obtaining the needed additional evidence to be able to obtain a charge.”