VIDEO: Bobby George in court on rape, attempted murder charges

[CONTENT WARNING: This article includes depictions of abuse and sexual assault. Discretion is advised.]

CLEVELAND (WJW) — Cleveland restaurateur Bobby George turned himself in Tuesday morning as he faces nine felony counts, court records show.

Cleveland Municipal Court records show Robert T. George, 43, is facing charges including attempted murder, rape, kidnapping, felonious assault and strangulation.

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George was given a $200,000 bond in a court hearing Tuesday morning. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court records show George posted 10% of that bond later Tuesday.

Prosecutors in the case had asked for a high bond, according to court records.

George was ordered to turn in his passport in court Tuesday.

A temporary protection order is in place for the alleged victim. The judge Tuesday questioned George about whether he understood the terms of the protection order.

Bobby George is the owner of several Cleveland eateries and businesses, including Barley House, REBoL, TownHall, LYV The Wellness Space and Green Goat Cafe Bar.

The Detroit Avenue, Lakewood, address listed for George in city court records correlates with the business address for TownHall in business filings kept with the Ohio Secretary of State’s office.

The charges were filed on Friday, Aug. 9, and involve incidents alleged to have happened between November 2023 and June 2024, court records show.

George is accused of strangling a woman and “throwing her around” their shared residence over the course of hours between June 8 and June 10, and keeping her from escaping, according to the arrest warrant obtained by the FOX 8 I-Team.

After the woman hid in a closet and began praying for her life, George is accused of shoving a towel down her throat, the warrant states, which is the basis of the attempted murder charge.

“You think God is going to help you?” George said, according to the warrant.

The rape charge stems from an alleged incident between May and July in which George is accused of throwing the woman to the ground and sexually assaulting her while holding her down.

In a later incident on July 27, George is accused of throwing the woman into a closet while she was attempting to leave, the force of which knocked over belongings inside the closet, the warrant states.

George is also accused of pinning the woman down and holding his hands around her neck on Nov. 14, 2023, “making her unable to breathe or move,” reads the warrant.

He then picked her up and slammed her head down multiple times, including into a living room table, it shows. The alleged attack left her with blurred vision and caused her ears to ring and bleed.

His business’ nurse practitioner diagnosed the woman with post-concussion syndrome, the warrant states.

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At some point between November 2023 and May 2024, George stopped the woman from fleeing the residence, following her out to her car and holding a gun to the window, demanding she get out, the warrant states. He then escorted her back into the residence with the gun to her stomach.

The attorney representing Bobby George said the charges should have never been filed. Attorney Kevin Spellacy said his client denies the charges “100 percent.”

“This did not happen,” Spellacy said. “We deny any and all accusations. They charged him without even interviewing him or getting his version of events.”

He said he is hoping to get the charges dismissed.

City of Cleveland Law Director Mark Griffin said in a statement Monday the investigation was handled by the city police Domestic Violence Unit and that it was “handled the same way that similar cases are handled every single day.

“Information is gathered, evidence is presented to the prosecutor, and an objective decision is made solely based on the facts. This is a case that involves multiple incidents and, in this instance, several pieces of evidence were obtained before a charging decision was made,” he wrote. “It’s imperative for the public to know that this case was treated according to standard protocols like any other case — regardless of the defendant’s name, title or occupation.  The investigation remains ongoing.”

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