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Children charged with raping 5-year-old girl

Is podcaster Ashli Ford harming victim by sharing her photos after the attack

Matt Westerhold's avatar
Matt Westerhold
Oct 16, 2025
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MILAN — Cleveland police confirmed Thursday that two children — ages 10 and 9 — have been charged in the brutal Sept. 13 assault of a 5-year-old girl who was left for dead in a field.

Baumgartner, left and Ford

According to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, both suspects face one count of attempted murder, four counts of rape, two counts of felonious assault, and one count each of kidnapping and strangulation.

The case has drawn additional attention because podcaster Ashli Ford posted photos of the injured child to her social media pages, including images that clearly identify the victim. In her posts, Ford claimed to be serving as an advocate for the child’s family.

Cleveland police said they have been investigating the case since the incident occurred and “never dealt with Ford” during the investigation.

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