GALLIPOLIS — Following the arrest of a Rio Grande man last month in connection with allegations that he had unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a second Gallia County man was arrested on Thursday evening for the alleged rape of a nine-year-old girl.

Stephen Bush, 63, Gallipolis, was arrested on Thursday evening following an ongoing investigation by deputies with the Gallia County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of agents working as part of the Crimes Against Children Unit of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.

Bush was arrested on one charge of rape after he was questioned for several hours by investigators on Thursday evening. He is currently being held in the Gallia County Jail.

The alleged crime is said to have occurred between August and September of this year.

The Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI) is a branch of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. The Crimes Against Children Initiative was started by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine in late 2011. Agents assigned to the unit focus exclusively on preventing crimes against children and investigating suspects who have committed such crimes. The initiative has taken a priority through his office, according to DeWine, and has helped to bring charges against multiple suspects alleged to victimized a child.

“This suspect was a trusted friend of this young victim’s family,” he said. “It has always been my number one priority to protect children in this state, and people who commit these heinous crimes against our youth will be arrested and prosecuted.”

Agents with the crimes against children unit were called into to assist Gallia County deputies in this case. This assistance has shown the importance of thoroughly investigating allegations of crimes that may have been committed against children in the community, according to Gallia County Sheriff Joe Browning.

“Crimes like this strike at the very heart of a community, and the safety of our children must come first and foremost in law enforcement,” said Browning. “We are grateful for the specialized assistance that Ohio BCI, through the Attorney General’s Office, has given us that helped lead to an arrest in this case. By working together our agencies have shown that these crimes will not be tolerated.”

The investigation is ongoing and further charges against the suspect may be pending. Attorneys from the office of Gallia County Prosecutor Jeff Adkins will prosecute the case.

Prior to Bush’s arrest on Thursday, a second man was arrested in Gallia County last month on sex crime allegations.

David A. Young, 46, Rio Grande, was arrested on Tuesday, October 16 by deputies and BCI agents following an investigation into his alleged behavior toward a minor between September 25, 2011, and September 25, 2012.

Young was arrested at the Simpson United Methodist Church where he is the pastor.

The victim in this case who the indictment describes as a 15-year-old “Jane Doe” had been, reportedly, one of Young’s students.

During an arraignment hearing last month in the Common Pleas Court of Gallia County, Young was charged with 20 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

The defendant’s bond has been set at $250,000, 10 percent. A jury trial in this case has been scheduled for January 9, 2013.

Young is currently being held in the Gallia County Jail.