Staff photo / Chris McBride Michael Edwards Jr. and attorney Dominic Vitantonio appear in court during an arraignment on new charges against Edwards unearthed in a superseding indictment released last week.

WARREN — Former Warren City officer Michael Edwards Jr. was arraigned Wednesday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court on new charges from a superseding indictment last week.

Given the new information brought to light in the indictment, which aside from new charges added two more victims to the case for a total of four, Edwards’ attorney Dominic Vitantonio requested additional time to go over evidence.

Edwards is in the Trumbull County jail on 19 charges, including, rape, gross sexual impostion, sexual battery, extortion, theft in office and dereliction of duty, menacing by stalking, attempted gross sexual imposition charges.

Initially set for a trial in late April, Judge Cynthia Rice allowed for the trial to be moved to June 24.

Edwards pleaded not guilty Wednesday to an amended indictment that added charges of fourth-degree gross sexual imposition; fourth-degree charge of menacing by stalking and fifth-degree attempted gross sexual imposition that brought his charges from 16 to 19.

Rice continued Edwards’ $750,000 bond at the request of assistant prosecutor Gabe Wildman.

Vitantonio reiterated statements from Edwards’ initial arraignment in Rice’s court about the difficulty of preparing for trial while his client is incarcerated.

Vitantonio filed a motion on March 15 for a bill of particulars outlining what his client is charged with.

That request was fulfilled by Wildman following Wednesday’s hearing.

The court document shows Edwards, while a member of the Warren police department, sexually assaulted four women.

Details about the first victim say that Edwards’ threatened to expose her for her involvement with prostitution and illegal substances if she refused to engage in sex acts with the defendant, Edwards.

A charge of theft in office explains that while on-duty, Edwards failed to perform his police duties for about 50 minutes while abusing his authority and engaging in sexual activity with the victim. This same charge was applied to alleged forced sexual activity with another victim.

The charge of menacing by stalking from the amended indictment details that in the summer / fall of 2023 Edwards is alleged to have stalked another victim, further alleging Edwards had followed and tried repeatedly to make contact with her while propositioning her for sexual images along with requests to allow him to touch her sexually. The document says Edwards had a firearm during interactions with the victim and used “actual / overt force” during the alleged offense.