The head of the Athens County Narcotics Task Force was found with two women in an Athens Super 8 motel when police arrested him on sexual battery charges in early September, according to Franklin County Municipal Court documents.
Deputy Jerry Hallowell, 43, was found with two women when he was caught and arrested for sexual battery by Special Agent Michael Trout, a member of the Major Crimes and Special Investigations Section of the Ohio Attorney General's Office Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigations.
Hallowell has been charged with three counts of sexual battery and one count of attempted sexual battery. The sexual batteries occurred Aug. 6, Sept. 3 and Sept. 5, according to Athens County Municipal Court documents. The three events were reported by the victim, an undercover female informant for the Athens County Sheriff's Office.
The attempted sexual battery took place Sept. 9, according to the court documents. Hallowell, the informant and an unknown female were found by Trout at the Super 8 motel, 2091 E. State St., where they had arranged for a sexual encounter to occur, according to court documents.
Hallowell was arraigned in Athens County Municipal Court before Judge William Grim on three counts of sexual battery and one count of attempted sexual battery Sept. 10.
Sexual battery is a third degree felony and attempted sexual battery is a fourth degree felony. Hallowell could spend a maximum of 16 years and six months in prison and pay a maximum fine of $35,000 if convicted of all charges, according to the Ohio Revised Code.
Hallowell has been suspended with pay until further action is taken by Sheriff Pat Kelly or the Athens County Grand Jury.
Grim modified Hallowell's bond to allow him to leave the state. Hallowell asked for permission to leave the state so he could travel to West Virginia to watch his son play football.
Hallowell has not yet been indicted by the grand jury.
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Marika Lee
