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HOFFER |
A repeat sex offender got four years in prison for numerous child pornography charges.
John Hoffer, 37, a Bellefontaine man who is currently serving time in prison for violating his parole on a previous sex charge, appeared Monday in Logan County Common Pleas Court to face sentencing on a second-degree felony count of pandering obscenity involving a minor and five counts of pandering sexually-oriented matter involving a minor, fourth-degree felonies.
He was arrested by officers of the Bellefontaine Police Department in June after information from the Van Wert Police Department indicated he was spreading obscene material involving juveniles on the Internet via a computer in Bellefontaine. Detectives located and confiscated the computer.
He was released from prison Sept. 9, 2013, after serving a three-year term for pandering obscenity involving a minor and gross imposition and has recently been sentenced to spend an additional six months for violating the terms of his parole.
Mr. Hoffer acknowledged in court Monday that he has an addiction to pornography.
“I realize I do have a severe pornography addiction,” he told Judge Mark S. O’Connor. “I wish I would have realized this sooner so I could have gotten help earlier.”
Judge O’Connor sentenced him to four years, but said he could be eligible to be released into the custody of a correctional-based sex offender program after serving six months of the sentence.
He is already a Tier II sex offender and must continue to register his address with authorities for the next 25 years.
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CONNELLY |
COOPER |
• Shawn Connelly, 39, of Bellefontaine, entered guilty pleas to fifth-degree felony counts of receiving stolen property and making false alarms for a series of incidents he said were caused by a codefendant.
He was immediately sentenced to spend 14 months in prison for the crimes.
Mr. Connelly admitted he was in possession of a 56-inch television and jewelry reported stolen in October from Jamie M. Sheppard’s 500 Gunntown Road apartment.
He alleged Corey A. Gaukin, a West Virginia man who has been charged with various crimes, stole the items and left them at Mr. Connelly’s home. Mr. Connelly also alleged that Mr. Gaukin assaulted him while in the Logan County Jail, which is the source of the making false alarms complaint.
• David Cooper, 30, of Lakeview, was placed on five years’ community control and ordered to pay a $250 fine for a fourth-degree felony count of domestic violence stemming from a June 24 incident.
Judge O’Connor read a lengthy list of Mr. Cooper’s previous violations of community control sanctions and warned him that any future infractions would result in the maximum 18-month prison sentence.
Pleas entered
Three men entered pleas and all will be sentenced Feb. 16.
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CLOSE |
McKINNEY |
• Daniel Close, 31, of Bellefontaine, pleaded guilty to 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, Leigh Anna Grumman, John Wiseman and Jason Swayze, an individual with disabilities, during crimes in August and October.
• Arthur McKinney, 42, of 116 Grand Ave., Russells Point, admitted a third-degree felony charge of failure to register his address as a sex offender. He was convicted in 2004 of sexual battery.
• Kyle Westerman, 49, of Bellefontaine, entered a guilty plea to 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.
Intervention granted
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RICKERT |
Jameson T. Rickert, 30, of Sidney, was placed on the three-year intervention in lieu of conviction program for a possession of cocaine charge. He was arrested May 23 for disorderly conduct after returning to Froggy’s at the Lake, 11065 Township Road 293, Lakeview, after having been instructed to leave.
Deputies of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office handling the arrest located a small quantity of cocaine during the arrest.
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