Martin Meyer
By Kristin Rover
Sun staff

An additional charge has been filed against a Goshen man known by local children as ‘the candyman.’

Goshen Township Police Sergeant Ron Robinson, who investigated the case, said Martin Meyer, 55, was charged with rape, a first-degree felony, June 16 in addition to previous charges of public indecency and corrupting others with drugs.

Robinson said the rape charge came after he spoke with some of the children involved in the investigation.

“It involves a child that had gone into the woods with him and was sexually assaulted,” Robinson said about the charge. “A child 12 and under.”

Robinson said the investigation began after a neighbor in a mobile home park at 1785 State Route 28 notified police that he had seen Martin Meyer, 55, walking into the woods with a young teenage girl and was suspicious about his intentions.

“That was alarming to me, and being a father, I looked into it,” Robinson said.

While police did not find Meyer and the teenager in the woods, Robinson said he began talking with teenagers and children in the neighborhood.

Robinson said he learned that Meyer was known as ‘The Candyman’ because he would provide children with candy either by giving it to them on special occasions or selling it to them.

He said Meyer would smoke marijuana with some of the teenagers and persuade them to get marijuana for him.

Robinson also learned that other children had been in Meyer’s home and that he exposed himself to them.

He said the incidents have been occurring over several months.

“It was clear he was setting these kids up to do something to them,” Robinson said about Meyer.

Robinson said Meyer is everything people would expect from a sexual predator.

“This is what they make movies about,” Robinson said.

Robinson said Meyer was previously convicted of Gross Sexual Imposition in 1987.

According to Goshen Police Captain Bob Rose, Meyer was not a registered sex offender because his convictions came before the law change that created the sex offender database.

Goshen police arrested Meyer June 6 and he was charged for corrupting another with drugs and two counts of public indecency.

Robinson said that since Meyer’s arrest June 6 more victims have come forward to talk about Meyer.

“He was convicted in 1987 and it is clear that none of that has stopped,” Robinson said.

He said he was expecting some additional victims to come forward but not victims from other locations.

“I’ve received three calls from victims out of state that had been assaulted by him in previous locations,” Robinson said. “I received a call from his victim in 1987 wanting to help.”

Robinson said the most shocking thing about the investigation is that some of the children in Goshen had told their parents about Meyer prior to the investigation.

“They failed to act,” Robinson said. “I hope parents are listening to their kids and keeping an eye on them.”

Meyer remains incarcerated at Clermont County Jail on $500,000 bond.

Robinson said the case is scheduled to be presented to a Clermont County Grand Jury next week.