WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) - A Warren man has averted a rape trial in a plea deal that will declare him a Tier 2 sex offender at sentencing.

Charles Shultz, 53, pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and tampering with evidence, all third-degree felonies, according to the Trumbull County Prosecutor's Office. He will be sentenced following a presentence investigation.

Shultz was charged following an August 2024 investigation by the Weatherfield Police Department involving a 15-year-old girl. During that investigation, prosecutors said that Shultz attempted to alter the DNA collection procedure.

The plea deal offsets a trial that was set to begin on Nov. 17.

Shultz will have to register his address with the local sheriff's office twice per year for 25 years in addi

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