Miamisburg mother lauded for helping put sexual predator in prison

Heck said that last year, Martin’s 7-year-old daughter told her mother that she and two other girls had been sexually assaulted for about three years by a family friend. Martin immediately reported it to the Miamisburg Police Department, Heck stated it in a news release.

“What makes this case special is that Tiffany’s mother was acquainted with the defendant and his wife. When Tiffany’s mother passed away, the defendant and his wife became like ‘grandparents’ to Tiffany’s children. Obviously Tiffany was devastated when she learned that someone she considered ‘family’ had victimized her daughter and other children. Tiffany didn’t hesitate to report the disclosure to the police to protect her children at all costs," Heck stated. "Tiffany did everything needed to assist our office in successfully convicting a violent sexual predator. For these reasons and more, the awards committee and I have determined that Tiffany Martin should be the recipient of the 2020 Champion of Children Award.”

The suspect, Scott E. Pate, was indicted in April 2019 on more than two-dozen charges, including multiple counts of rape of a child younger than 10 and gross sexual imposition of a child younger than 13. Once the indictment was made public, another victim reported that she was sexually assaulted in 2004 by the defendant.

Pate was found guilty on all 25 counts by a jury on Oct. 7, 2019, and on Dec. 20, 2019, was convicted of sexually violent predator specifications. He was sentenced Jan. 31 to the maximum possible sentence of 10 consecutive life terms in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional consecutive 58-years-to-life sentence.

Heck on Wednesday also commended Miamisburg police Sgt. Michael Aiken who investigated the case, and assistant prosecutors Kelly Madzey and Franklin Gehres who prosecuted the case.