Investigators say alleged crimes occurred from August 2024 through December 2025.
LEBANON, Ohio — A Warren County grand jury returned indictments against Tony McCollister and Erica Lynne Grove, both 43, alleging the pair drugged and raped a young girl and engaged in sexual acts with two dogs. The couple is scheduled for arraignment Wednesday at Warren County Common Pleas Court.
Authorities said the case opened after a June 2025 report to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children flagged possible child sexual abuse material tied to an online account. Warren County sheriff’s detectives obtained search warrants and, they said, uncovered videos of alleged animal sex along with images involving a child under age six. The investigation grew as analysts reviewed devices and records, leading to child-rape charges and accusations of drugging. Prosecutors said the evidence prompted a swift grand jury review and a wide set of counts for each defendant.
Charging documents list 30 counts for McCollister: four counts of rape, corrupting another with drugs, five counts of gross sexual imposition, three counts of endangering children, 13 counts connected to pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person, and four misdemeanor counts of sexual conduct with an animal. Grove faces 24 counts: four counts of rape, corrupting another with drugs, eight counts related to illegal use of a minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance, two counts of endangering children, and four misdemeanor counts of sexual conduct with an animal. Officials have not said how the child knew the defendants and did not release the child’s age beyond “under six.”
Prosecutor David Fornshell said the alleged crimes happened between August 2024 and December 2025 in Warren County, with detectives from the sheriff’s office, animal-control staff and child-protection workers assisting. He said investigators initially focused on animal-sex evidence before later finding files that indicated a girl had been drugged and assaulted. “Just when we thought that sex with the dogs was going to be the most horrific part of this case,” he said, “detectives discovered evidence of the drugging and raping of a little girl.” The dogs connected to the case were removed and are receiving care, according to officials.
McCollister appeared in 2015 on the briefly aired A&E series “Neighbors with Benefits,” which featured adults in suburban Warren County; authorities emphasized the TV program is unrelated to the charges. The network canceled the show after two episodes amid public backlash at the time. Investigators said their present case is built on digital forensics, witness statements and grand jury subpoenas, and they continue to evaluate devices seized under court order. The sheriff’s office has not announced any additional arrests.
At the courthouse in Lebanon, clerks prepared for back-to-back arraignments as deputies handled a steady flow of inquiries. Booking logs show McCollister and Grove remain in the county jail. Outside, the square was quiet under a gray sky, with a few people pausing to read posted dockets. A spokesperson said any future filings will be added to the case record once the judge sets bond and schedules further hearings.
The case stands at the arraignment stage, with initial hearings planned for Wed., Feb. 4. Prosecutors said updates on bond decisions and a pretrial schedule will follow the appearances.
Author note: Last updated February 3, 2026.