MONTGOMERY COUNTY — A Waynesville police officer has been charged with rape and other sex crimes involving eight suspected victims for offenses prosecutors said happened before he was hired by the department, court records show.
Peyton Kocevar, 22, of Centerville, was arrested by police Thursday night after a warrant was issued. Kocevar is charged with seven counts of rape and two counts of gross sexual imposition. His bond was set Friday morning at $500,000 and he was ordered not to be in contact with any minors or witnesses.
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Earlier this month, two women reported rapes that were said to have happened at an apartment in Centerville between 2014 and 2016, court records show.
Following the first two reports, six other women reported rapes as well. Those six victims told police the rapes happened in addresses in both Centerville and Kettering between 2012 and 2016.
Kocevar was a student at Alter High School at the time the allegations are said to have happened. A spokeswoman for the school declined comment on the case.
None of the crimes Kocevar is currently accused of committing happened on school property, prosecutors said late Friday.
All eight of the accusers provided detailed accounts of the alleged rapes, according to Centerville police. The victims told investigators Kocevar “forced himself upon them,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Centerville police spoke with Kocevar at his Centerville apartment last week to discuss the allegations against him, however he did not admit to anything, court records show.
Kocevar was still in high school at the time the crimes are said to have been committed.
Kocevar has been a reserve Waynesville police officer since September 2019.
Waynesville Police Chief Gary Copeland said the department was made aware by Centerville police last Friday of an investigation involving Kocevar. The department immediately removed him from the schedule and Kocevar is not being paid, Copeland said.
As a reserve officer, Kocevar is typically scheduled about two times each month, Copeland said.
As part of his application process with Waynesville Police Department, Kocevar took a computer voice stress analyzer test, which is a truth verification device.
During the CVSA test, Kocevar was asked if he ever engaged in gross unnatural sexual acts or any illicit sexual activities. He responded with a no answer to both questions.
He’s been with the department for about 10 months and the department does not have any complaints filed against him, Copeland said.
If anyone has any information pertaining to the investigation they are asked to contact Det. K Gerspacher at 937-428-4707 or kgerspacher@centervilleohio.gov.
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