By Kim Palmer

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Brogan Rafferty, the 16-year-old suspect in the murder of three men linked to a phony job offer on Craigslist, was transferred to an adult prison facility in Akron, a Summit County jail employee confirmed on Wednesday.

In Ohio, juveniles 16 or older tried as adults may be put in adult prisons, but must not be in a situation where adult inmates can touch them, and they must be supervised at all times.

Rafferty, who turns 17 on Saturday, is housed in an area by himself and is allowed visitation and "all the rights of any other inmate," according to the Summit County prison employee, who did not want to be named.

Rafferty will be tried as an adult. He has been charged with the attempted murder of Scott Davis, 48, and the murder of David M. Pauley, 51. The two men both responded to an October ad on Craigslist offering a caretaker position on a ranch in rural Ohio for $300 a week.

The bodies of two more men, Ralph Geiger, 55, and Timothy Kern, 47, were found buried in shallow graves after Rafferty's arrest and are believed to be connected to the same job offer advertised on Craigslist, according to law enforcement officials.

Summit County prosecutor spokeswoman April Wiesner could not comment on Rafferty's transfer, citing a gag order put in place by Noble County Judge John Nau in November.

The other suspect in the case, Richard J. Beasley, 52, was to have a court hearing on Wednesday for prostitution and drug charges but his lawyer was granted a delay until January 19.

Summit County prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh said earlier

this month that her office will be prosecuting Beasley for the murders of Pauley, Geiger and Kern and the attempted murder of Davis.

(Writing and reporting by Kim Palmer; Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Greg McCune)