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PILKINGTON |
The sexual battery trial for the father of three boys authorities believe were suffocated by their mother was postponed, and a special prosecutor was named to handle the case.
Joseph Pilkington, 44, a former Bellefontaine resident who is now living in Newark, appeared Tuesday in Logan County Common Pleas Court for hearings on several motions filed by his attorney Steven Fansler.
Among those were a request to disqualify the Logan County Prosecutor’s Office from prosecuting the case because Prosecutor William T. Goslee previously represented Mr. Pilkington in a divorce case. Mr. Goslee agreed to have his office step aside and Union County Prosecutor David Phillips has reportedly agreed to handle the case.
Mr. Pilkington is accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with Brittany Pilkington while she was a juvenile and he was living in her home in a stepfather role.
The two were married after Brittany Pilkington became pregnant with their first child at age 17.
Mrs. Pilkington is now accused of three counts of aggravated murder for allegedly suffocating their three boys — infant Niall on July 22, 2014, followed by Gavin, 4, on April 6, 2015, and infant Noah on Aug. 18, 2015.
A request for continuance of Mr. Pilkington’s trial, which was set for Feb. 25 and 26, was also granted. Judge Mark S. O’Connor said a date would not be set until the court consults directly with Mr. Phillips and Mr. Fansler to identify a suitable time.
Other motions to change venue, to dismiss the case for unjustifiable delay in commencing prosecution and to enlarge discovery will be responded to by Mr. Phillips and his staff, the judge said.
Man gets 3 years for sex crime
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ALLEN |
CLOSE |
Charles Allen, 49, of 228 Oakland Square, was sentenced to three years in prison and labeled a Tier III sex offender for a third-degree felony sexual battery charge.
He was charged after DNA evidence showed him to be the biological father of a baby born after he had sex with a heavily intoxicated 26-year-old woman at a party in December 2013.
When he is released from prison, he will be on post release control for five years and must register his address with authorities every 90 days for life, Judge O’Connor said.
• Daniel Close, 31, of Bellefontaine, was ordered to complete the rehabilitation program at West Central Community Correctional Facility for a third-degree felony count of burglary, three fifth-degree felony thefts and a misdemeanor theft.
He admitted taking advantage of several victims, including his mother, Tina Close; sister, DeeDee Close; and Leigh Anna Grumman, John Wiseman and Jason Swayze, an individual with disabilities, during crimes in August and October.
He was also placed on community control for five years and told that any violations could result in a four-year prison sentence.
• Babette Paulson, 32, of Lakeview, was placed on five years’ community control for possession of heroin.
She and her husband, Robert Paulson were arrested Sept. 23 after neighbors of Ratleff Park reported suspected drug and sexual activity in a baseball diamond dugout. They were found by an officer of the Bellefontaine Police Department partially clothed and surrounded by drug paraphernalia.
Her operator’s license was also suspended one year.
• Kyle Westerman, 49, of Bellefontaine, got 60 days in jail for a first-degree misdemeanor count of aggravated trespassing stemming from a mid-July incident in which he caused damage to Miles Pickering’s Excel Auto Body And Paint, 1274 Township Road 204, business and then left a tool belt with his name on it at the scene of the crime.
He was granted work release and told that he could be released from jail after 30 days if he demonstrates efforts to remain free of substance abuse issues.
• Emma Schoenberger, 24, of Lakeview, was sentenced to West Central Community Correctional Facility for a fifth-degree felony count of possession of cocaine. She was arrested by officers of the Bellefontaine Police Department on a warrant on Nov. 2 and found in possession of the drug. She was already awaiting a bed on other charges.
• Blaze Kiser, 30, of Bellefontaine, was ordered to complete five years’ community control with substance abuse counseling for two counts of complicity to trafficking in drugs.
Pleas entered
David L. Henry, 31, of Lakeview, entered guilty pleas to misdemeanor counts of assault and criminal damaging for two separate incidents in late August.
He originally was charged with felonious assault for severely beating Leonard Epps Jr. in a fight at 209 E. Buckeye St. and several other charges in connection with a domestic incident involving Brittany Durm at 400 Lincoln Blvd., Apt. 52, Russells Point.
• Wendy Wendel, 37, of Wapakoneta, pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking in drugs for acting as the intermediary in February 2015 drug buys coordinated by the Logan County Joint Drug Task Force and involving a larger drug ring being run by now convicted traffickers Erin Ratleff and DeAngelo Harper.
Both defendants will be sentenced March 21.
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