A jury trial for an alleged rape case against an East Palestine man has been moved to 2024 following a status hearing on Friday.

James E. Brown, 63, was charged with rape and gross sexual imposition for the alleged rape and sexual contact involving a 6-year-old victim between 1996 and 1998. He was served a secret indictment for the case in January.

The jury trial will now be February 6, 2024. It was originally set for August 8.

Right now it is unclear why the trial was moved to next year but this story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Browne was already serving a three-year prison term for several sex offenses including importuning and disseminating material harmful to juveniles.

According to the Columbiana County Prosecutor, Browne was charged following an investigation by the East Palestine Police Department during which Browne solicited sex from an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a twelve-year-old girl.

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