Northern Kentucky man faces additional charges in child rape case

COVINGTON, Ky. (WXIX) - A Northern Kentucky man is facing additional charges from a 2020 rape case involving a child after an audio recording taken by another juvenile revealed more information, prosecutors said.

Warning - some of the details in this story are disturbing.

Aaron Hacker was indicted on several charges Thursday, including unlawful use of electronics involving a minor, sodomy, and rape in the second degree, jail records show.

“This is child molesting - plain and simple,” said Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders.

In January and June of 2020, Hacker allegedly engaged in a sexual relationship with a 12-year-old child, and was indicted on one count of rape and sodomy. He now faces nine counts of rape, one count of sodomy, and other charges.

Sanders says Hacker lived in the same complex as the child and gave her and two of her friends alcohol.

“He is accused of feeding alcohol to two of the three juveniles, and the third juvenile took a video of it,” explained Sanders.

Hacker cannot be seen in the video, but court documents say he is heard saying to the victim, “I am not cheating on you. I am not trying to cheat on you. I don’t want anybody else.”

“The way he was conversing with this 12-year-old child, it was as if he was talking to someone he was referring to like it was his girlfriend,” the prosecutor said. “However, in this case, it was a victim of child molestation.”

Sanders says the crimes would not have been discovered without the recording and more crimes could have been committed.

“When that videotape was shown to the parents of the 12-year-old child, obviously they were alarmed. The father of the child notified police. Police set up an interview with the Northern Kentucky Children’s Advocacy Center,” Sanders added.

With the new charges, Hacker faces up to 20 years in prison.

The suspect is currently being held in the Kenton County Detention Center on a $100,000 cash bond. He is expected to be back in court on Oct. 10.

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