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Additional accusers come forward in case of local sheep farmer accused of sex crimes

UPDATE @ 3:22 p.m. 

NewsCenter 7’s Gabrielle Enright talked with one of Rife’s accusers who says Rife allegedly knocked him to the ground and touched him inappropriately in 1977, when he was fourteen.

The Springfield man who is the accuser also states that he was warned by other employees of Rife’s to not be alone with Rife. He decided to come forward after he saw the current accusations against Rife and stated he wanted to give current accusers more credibility.

William Rife has posted bond and is currently not in jail.  Investigators are asking anyone with any additional information on Rife to contact the Greene County Sheriff’s Office.

Gabrielle Enright will have more on this story beginning at 5 p.m. on NewsCenter 7.

FIRST REPORT: 

A sheep farmer from Greene County who was accused of child sex crimes by a former minor-aged employee, is now facing the possibility of additional charges from four more accusers.

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William Rife, 71, is charged with two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and, according to Sheriff Gene Fischer, four more accusers have come forward since the original charges, including an alleged report of sex crimes happening more than 40 years ago.

Rife is currently accused of touching a minor boy sexually while he was working for Rife at his Clifton Road sheep farm, according to court records.

According to court records, a “controlled call” was conducted between the victim and Rife last week.

“During that call, they discussed the sexual activity that had occurred before (the victim) left his employment,” the detective wrote in a statement of facts. “Rife agreed to meet (the victim) later in the evening so that more sexual conduct would occur.”

The prosecutor’s office asked for Rife’s bond to be set at $25,000 and noted the case will be presented to a Greene County grand jury.

Rife is currently not in custody.

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