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FORMER MUSKINGUM COUNTY CHILDREN SERVICES WORKER INDICTED ON 11 FELONY COUNTS A former Muskingum County Children Services employee is now facing 11 third-degree felony charges for alleged record tampering. Ashley Steele, 37, of Senecaville, was terminated immediately after the agency says it discovered falsified documentation during a routine internal review. Law enforcement was notified right away. According to the Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office, the charges include: ▪️ 10 counts of allegedly falsifying official case reports while working as a counselor ▪️ 1 count tied to allegedly submitting a fraudulent document during her hiring process, claiming a prior conviction had been sealed Officials are calling this a serious breach of public trust — especially within an agency responsible for protecting vulnerable children. Executive Director Candace Emmert confirmed the agency conducted an internal investigation, determined multiple reports were falsified, and immediately terminated Steele before referring the matter to law enforcement. Specific details about the altered reports have not yet been released. More information is expected as the case moves forward in court. As always, all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. #MuskingumCounty #Zanesville #OhioCrime #RecordTampering #PublicTrust #TrueCrime #BreakingNews