James T. Hackworth, a 46-year-old fire chief from Blue Creek pleaded not guilty to one count of rape Wednesday and was released on a $5,000 signature bond.
Hackworth is accused of forcibly engaging in sex with a 16-year-old girl after providing her with alcohol in the early morning hours of Oct. 3 at Nelsonville's Paul Bunyan Show.
Hackworth's trial is set for March 24 in the Athens County Court of Common Pleas.
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Matt Zapotosky
