A former Ohio University police officer was indicted on 12 counts, including unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, by a grand jury Mar. 13.
Robert Andrew Parsons, 37, 12778 Scatter Ridge Road, was indicted for unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, three counts of importuning, complicity to obstructing justice and seven counts of falsification in the Athens County Common Pleas Court.
Parsons was released on a $10,000 bond on the condition that he cancel his passport application or surrender it to the court. The charges allege that Parsons engaged in sexual conduct from Aug. 15 to Nov. 29, 2005, with a girl who he knew was between 13 and 16 years old. Unlawful sexual conduct with a minor is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years imprisonment.
The importuning charges allege Parsons solicited three juvenile girls to engage in sexual activities online, with two of the alleged contacts beginning in 2002 and continuing until October 2005 and January 2006, according to Special Prosecutor Rocky Coss in a news release. Each of these fifth-degree felonies carries a 12-month maximum prison term.
The complicity to obstructing justice charge is also a fifth-degree felony. The seven counts of falsification allege Parsons lied about his contact with the girls. The indictment alleges he denied knowing one of the girls and using his work computer and cell phone to contact the girls. Falsification is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to six months imprisonment.
If convicted of all the charges, Parsons could be sentenced to a maximum of 12 and a half years in prison.
Parsons was dismissed from his position as a police officer in February, and the university is cooperating with the police investigation, said John Burns, director of Legal Affairs for OU.
The investigation began in November 2005 when children-
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Rebecca Black
