Marysville Man Indicted on 11 Felony Counts Involving Children

A Marysville man has been indicted on 11 felony counts involving two children under the age of 13.

David Joseph Thomas Souza, 44, was indicted Friday by a Union County grand jury on three counts of first-degree felony rape, kidnapping, three counts of gross sexual imposition and charges involving grooming, sexually oriented material involving minors and importuning.

The indictment significantly expands the case first filed in Marysville Municipal Court. A Union County Sheriff's Detective said the investigation began September 1 following a Child Protective Services referral involving a message Souza allegedly sent admitting inappropriate contact with a child.

Columbia Gas plans to seek a natural gas rate increase that, under one example in its filing, would add $14.79 a month to a customer's bill. The company's bill comparison shows the same monthly increase for customers in its small general sales category at several levels of gas use.