Men face sexual assault charges

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GREENFIELD — Two Greenfield men sexually assaulted a young girl and then offered sex with her to other men in exchange for drug money, court records state.

Robert Celio, 34, and Joshua Loyd, 44, held a knife to the girl’s throat and threatened her with a gun, saying they would kill her if she reported the abuse, charging documents state. The men face sexual assault charges, including counts of child molesting and criminal deviant conduct, as well as intimidation with a deadly weapon, court records show.

The girl told police Celio threatened her with a gun while physically and verbally abusing her, saying he would “put bullets in the gun and shoot her in the head,” if she told anyone, court documents state.

Loyd, an acquaintance of Celio’s, held a paring knife to her throat and told her they were “boyfriend and girlfriend, and she is supposed to love him,” court documents state.

Celio was serving time at the Hancock County Jail on an unrelated case when prosecutors filed the sexual assault charges; Loyd was taken into police custody Tuesday.

Celio faces six felony charges, and Loyd faces three felony charges.

The girl told police the abuse dated back to 2006 and took place in Celio’s Greenfield home, where Loyd was often a visitor, court documents state.

She once heard Celio talking with another man “about selling her for sex,” court documents state. Celio received money for drugs in exchange for allowing the man to sexually assault the girl, court documents state.

In an interview with police, Celio denied the allegations. He said he would never hurt the girl, and he doesn’t own a gun, court records state.

Police attempted to contact Loyd for an interview but he did not return their calls, court documents state.

Celio is in jail serving a six-month sentence for resisting law enforcement. At the conclusion of his sentence, he remains held on $50,000 cash bond for the new charges.

His attorney, Jeff McClarnon of Greenfield, could not be reached for comment.

Loyd was expected to appear in court Wednesday. An attorney has not been appointed to handle his case.