Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, September 18, 2025
67-Year-Old Zanesville Man Pleads Guilty to Rape
(ZANESVILLE, OH)
September 17, 2025, Phillip R. Norman, 67, of Zanesville, OH, appeared in the Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas to plead guilty to charges that stem from Norman entering a woman’s home and raping her.
Norman’s guilty plea includes a felony of the first-degree Rape charge. For this charge Norman is facing a minimum mandatory prison time of 3 years and up to a maximum of 16 ½ years.
Case Details:
On July 2, 2024, officers were dispatched to a home in reference to a sexual assault.
The victim reported that an acquaintance, Phillip Norman, came to her home and began to force himself on her. The victim then told Norman that she didn’t like to be touched and pushed him away.
Norman then demanded that the victim go into her bedroom and take off her clothes. The victim reported being cooperative with Norman due to feeling threatened and in fear that he was going to hurt her.
Once inside the bedroom Norman sexually assaulted the victim. During the investigation Norman originally denied having any sexual contact with the victim, then changed his story to say any sexual activity was consensual.
Video evidence was recovered showing Norman leaving the victim’s residence. The victim also underwent a sexual assault examination which resulted in Norman’s DNA being recovered.
Muskingum County Prosecutor Ron Welch explained “Many people believe sexual assaults are committed by strangers, but reports show most sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows. This type of acquaintance rape is just as violent, just as devastating, and just as criminal as any other form of sexual assault. By securing this conviction, we have given the victim a voice and held the offender accountable.”
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