Shadyside man gets 20 to life for child rape

Gregory Holcomb

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — A Shadyside man will spend 20 years to life in prison for preying on “the most vulnerable victim that society has,” according to Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan.

Gregory Allen Holcomb, 30, of 62003 Rolling Hills Lane, had pleaded guilty on May 6 in Belmont County Common Pleas Court to one count of first-degree felony rape of child under 13 and two counts of second-degree felony pandering sexually-oriented material involving a minor. Flanagan said the pandering charges were filed in connection with photographs found on Holcomb’s phone during the investigation.

Holcomb was initially booked into the Belmont County Jail on April 28, 2023, in the case that centered on a single juvenile victim. Flanagan said the defense filed for a competency evaluation of Holcomb, which delayed the court proceedings in the case.

On Tuesday, Belmont County Common Pleas Judge John A. Vavra conducted a sentencing hearing before ruling that Holcomb would serve 20 years to life for his crimes. Flanagan previously explained that the rape of a child under 13 carries an enhanced penalty that includes the possibility of life in prison.

His office lobbied for a sentence of 20 years to life, while defense attorney Ed Gilleson sought a shorter sentence. The 20-year mark would be the threshold at which Holcomb could become eligible for parole.

“Holcomb’s actions with a young child necessitated the potential life sentence,” Flanagan wrote in a news release.

During the sentencing hearing, Assistant Prosecutor Joe Rine called two detectives who investigated the case to the witness stand. Flanagan said the detectives had worked closely with local and federal authorities including the Department of Homeland Security and the Belmont County Department of Job and Family Services.

According to Flanagan’s release, the investigation started when law enforcement learned of a social media site that contained messages “referencing child sexual abuse from a particular individual.” Authorities also found a photograph of child pornography associated with the user’s account. As a result, subpoenas and search warrants were obtained, as well as an arrest warrant for Holcomb.

Holcomb was arrested in early May 2023 when the Belmont County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigative Unit, in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations, served a search warrant at Holcomb’s residence. The officers were acting on a cyber tip received by HSI on suspicion that Holcomb was viewing and/or sharing child pornography. Flanagan had said there was also involvement by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Further investigation resulted in the additional rape charge.

Holcomb has been lodged at the Belmont County Jail since his arrest.

“This defendant exploited the child for his own purposes and, through photographs, for the purposes of others,” Flanagan wrote. “Again, we commend the court for the sentence and for the work of our law enforcement partners, both state and federal. The combined efforts in this matter provided a just and needed outcome for the victims and the abuser.”

In the interest of protecting the alleged victim’s identity, specific information about the child’s age or where the alleged rape occurred was not released. Flanagan has said it occurred in Belmont County prior to April 2023.