By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
A man who pleaded guilty to two sex-related felonies involving a teenage girl will be viewed as a sexual predator by the justice system for the rest of his life.
Twenty-two-year-old Timothy Peck must register as a Tier III sex offender when he is released from prison. Peck pleaded guilty Monday morning in Crawford County Common Pleas Court to third-degree sexual battery and fourth-degree unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. Assistant prosecutor Ryan Hoovler asked for and Judge Sean Leuthold imposed consecutive sentences of 48 months for sexual battery and 11 months for unlawful sexual conduct for a total of 59 months.
“This behavior goes beyond foolish judgement, it is predatory in nature,” Leuthold told Peck.
The incident leading to the charges which Peck pleaded guilty to in a bill of information occurred at a party in his home where alcohol and marijuana were present. The victim was a 14-year-old girl.
Stressing that the girl’s actions were not the issue, but the defendant’s behavior, the judge added, “Young girls make mistakes . . . . That doesn’t entitle men to take advantage of them.”
Peck has been held at the Crawford County Justice Center on a $2 million bond since arraignment in December. He will also be on post-release control for a mandatory five years after he is released from prison.
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Nineteen-year-old Nicholas Hamel was formally sentenced to five years of community control for fifth-degree drug possession.
Leuthold went out of his way to say he believed probation was an appropriate sentence for Hamel. Hamel must also complete drug and alcohol treatment, had his driver’s license suspended for six months and must pay a $1,250 fine.
“You mess this up and you will go to prison,” the judge told Hamel. “No more drugs, no more drug culture.”
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Thirty-five-year-old Benjamin Israel pleaded guilty to fifth-degree drug possession. The recommended sentence from Hoovler was the same as Hamel’s – five years on community control.
The court asked for a pre-sentence investigation prior to formally sentencing Israel.
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