Grand jury indicts former state lawmaker for rape

(LEX 18) — A grand jury has indicted former Justice Department secretary and state representative John Tilley on a first-degree count of rape.

Tilley, who oversaw Kentucky’s state prison system under former Gov. Matt Bevin, was indicted by a grand jury on the charge Tuesday, Oct. 11. He was arrested back in August after he was accused of having sex at a Lexington hotel with a woman who could not consent due to her level of alcohol consumption, according to an arrest affidavit. He pleaded not guilty during the trial.

“John Tilley maintains his innocence of the criminal charges and has cooperated with the investigation,” Tilley’s attorney, Steve Schroering, said at the time of the arrest. “He respects the court process and has no further comment at this time.”

Tilley served as the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Public Safety from December 2015 to 2019, overseeing the Kentucky State Police, Department of Corrections and other agencies.

Before that, Tilley served five terms as a Democratic state representative from Hopkinsville.