This article contains mentions of child sexual crimes; reader discretion is encouraged.

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – A 25-year-old man from Lima pleaded guilty to reduced charges in his assortment of alleged sex crimes case. Going down from 13 years in prison to 5 years of probation.

Matthew Risch was convicted by the Auglaize County court in May of 2024 for multiple charges, including gross sexual imposition, disseminating matter harmful to a juvenile and public indecency. He had a 13-year prison sentence, but appealed the conviction.

In his appeal, he argued the court made a mistake by allowing jurors to learn of his prior convictions, and it “abused its discretion” by denying a mistrial. He also argued his right to effective assistance of counsel was violated.

The Ohio Third District Court

See Full Page