Court Filing Reveals Plea Talks in Former Chillicothe Physician Assistant Sexual Abuse Case

FORT MYERS, Florida — Defense attorneys and Florida prosecutors are engaged in ongoing plea negotiations in the criminal case against former Chillicothe physician assistant Rufus Frank Lowman, according to newly filed court records.

A Case Management Conference Order filed on June 30, 2026, in the Lee County Circuit Court indicates that the defense has received all evidence, discovery, and the state guidelines scoresheet. While Lowman remains free on bond, court conditions restrict his travel, requiring him to remain within the state of Florida as the legal process moves forward.

Lowman, the former owner of Rose Medical Clinic in Chillicothe, is facing two felony counts of lewd or lascivious molestation involving a child. The charges stem from allegations that he sexually abused his former stepdaughter over several years, beginning when she was approximately 10 or 11 years old.

The allegations first came to light about a decade ago when the child’s mother reported the case to the Ross County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office later stated that a lack of cooperation from the victim contributed to the case not moving forward at the time, despite investigators having access to an audio recording in which a person identified as Lowman allegedly made statements related to the allegations, as well as a written statement from the victim. Another local news outlet later released the recording and is now part of the evidence being used in the Florida case.

The case took a significant turn after a local journalist brought the allegations and evidence to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. Investigators there reopened the matter, conducted a new investigation, and ultimately pursued criminal charges against Lowman more than a decade after the allegations were first reported in Ohio. Critics have questioned why the case did not move forward earlier in Ross County. Lowman has pleaded not guilty, and the allegations remain accusations unless proven guilty in court

The case has been set for a pretrial conference on Friday, December 18, 2026, at 1:30 PM in Fort Myers. Under the terms of the recent court order, Lowman has waived his right to a speedy trial. If convicted, under Florida’s strict statutes, Lowman could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.