GREENVILLE — Darke County Common Pleas Court heard cases involving burglary and unlawful sex with a minor Tuesday morning. Judge Jonathan P. Hein presided.
Jacob Motley, age 18, of Greenville, pled guilty to two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor as part of a plea agreement with the Darke County Prosecutor’s Office. The first count, a first-degree misdemeanor, stemmed from an incident in September of last year in which Motley allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old girl. The second, a fourth-degree felony, stems from an incident in October involving a 13-year-old girl.
The charges carry combined penalties of up to two years in prison and a potential $6,000 fine. Motley would also be required to register with the sheriff of his county of residence as a Tier II sex offender every six months for the next 25 years.
“The acts were not coerced. The defendant had consensual sex, as we normally use the term, with two young ladies who were under the age of consent,” Darke County Prosecutor R. Kelly Ormsby said.
Judge Hein accepted Motley’s guilty plea and ordered a pre-sentencing investigation. Motley’s next court appearance is a sentencing hearing, to be held June 11.
John Dingman, age 23, of Rossburg, pled guilty to burglary, a fourth-degree felony carrying penalties of up to three years in prison. The charge was amended from a count of trespassing, a third-degree felony, also as part of a plea agreement with the county prosecutor. The charges stem from an incident on Christmas Day of last year in which Dingman unlawfully entered another person’s home. Dingman’s previous criminal record includes charges of theft dating back to 2014 and 2017. He is currently on probation in Greenville Municipal Court in connection with the most recent charge.
Prosecutor Ormsby recommended probation combined with restitution and community service. Judge Hein accepted Dingman’s guilty plea and ordered a pre-sentencing investigation. His next court appearance is a sentencing hearing, to be held June 11.
