CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - Arraignment set Tuesday on sex assault charges against a local businessman.
Thomas Ganley pleaded not guilty and bond was set at $25,000.
"This case was always about money, so we look forward to our day in court," said Ganley's attorney Steve Dever.
Ganley was indicted by a Grand Jury on 7 counts: three counts of gross sexual imposition, one count of kidnapping, one count of abduction, one count of soliciting, and one count of menacing by stalking.
On August 1, 2009, a then 37-year-old female took her vehicle to be serviced at Ganley Chevrolet located on Lorain Ave. in Cleveland.
The 68-year old car dealership owner invited the victim to his office, where he solicited her for sex and had sexual contact. He subsequently made several menacing calls to her.
Allegations that Ganley groped or molested two women surfaced during his unsuccessful Congressional run.
Ganley has been steadfast in maintaining his innocence. He'll be back in court April 1st.
The following statement was issued by Ken Ganley, vice president, Ganley Automotive Group:
Our entire family stands behind my father during this difficult time. We hope Dad's record of community service, business leadership and dedication to our thousands of customers will speak to his true character.
Even though we don't believe these allegations are true, we will use this awful situation to reinforce our core values and make sure we treat everyone respectfully – our customers, our employees and everyone we do business with. These allegations run counter to who we are as a company. Ganley Automotive has more than a thousand employees, and I know I have the full support of all of them as we work to maintain the public's confidence in our company.
While this will be a difficult time for everyone at Ganley Automotive Group, we intend to continue serving our customers as we have for more than 40 years.
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