Levi Alan Taylor, 28, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of rape in Clark County Common Pleas Court for the Sept. 28, 2019, sexual assault.
He was arrested Sept. 30 on one count of rape, one count of gross sexual imposition and three counts of pandering sexually oriented matter, court records show.
Taylor appeared before Clark County Common Pleas Court Judge O’Neill, who imposed the sentence. When asked if he had anything to say, Taylor, who sat with his hands hiding his face from media cameras, said no.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office began their investigation into Taylor after information was given to detectives by the victim’s mother, according to Clark County Assistant Prosecutor Aaron Heskett.
Detectives later executed a search warrant and found evidence of the sexual misconduct on Taylor’s cellphone, according to court documents. He had recorded himself engaging in sexual conduct with the victim while she was sleeping, court documents say.
RELATED: Springfield man pleads guilty to one count of rape, remaining charges dismissed
Detectives also discovered that there had been other prior sexual misconduct that the victim did not tell anyone about, Heskett said.
“The strength of the victim and the victim’s family really helped from the beginning,” Heskett said. “Their continued cooperation with us and ability to work with us, we couldn’t do it without them.”
Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of rape and the remaining charges were dismissed, Heskett said.
Taylor also is required to register as a Tier III sex offender for the rest of his life if granted release, Heskett said.
2. Springfield man charged in connection to Tuesday stabbing
Ronnie Spitler, 32, appeared in Clark County Municipal Court on Thursday on charges of felonious assault. Spitler pleaded not guilty to the charges and was given a bond of $25,000.
As of Thursday morning, Spitler was listed as an inmate at the Clark County Jail.
Spitler was arrested on Wednesday night after a warrant was issued for his arrest following the alleged stabbing.
According to a Springfield police report, officers were dispatched around 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday to the 100 block of South Race Street in reference to a male who had been stabbed.
When crews arrived, the victim “was holding a piece of clothing over his right shoulder covering the wound, attempting to stop the bleeding,” the report said.
RELATED: Springfield man pleads not guilty to charges in connection with stabbing
The victim told police he was asleep when Spitler allegedly started an argument with him, the report said.
The victim said the two had been arguing for several days, so the victim told Spitler: “Let’s just get this over with, let’s have it out and have a fistfight,” the report said.
Both men were then allegedly “squaring off” when Spitler grabbed a small kitchen knife and stabbed the victim in the right shoulder area, the report said.
The victim’s fiancee then tried to call 911, the report said.
“(The witness) then picked up her cell phone and stated she was calling 911 at which time Ronnie Spitler allegedly grabbed her phone and attempted to break it, while stating, ‘no don’t call, I didn’t mean to do it,’” the report said.
Spitler then allegedly grabbed the knife, ran water over it, dropped it in the kitchen sink, and fled on foot out of the back door, the report said.
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
3. Springfield drug dealer sentenced to prison after raid finds drugs, stolen weapons
Mahdi Channels, 22, was sentenced on Wednesday to five years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of possession of cocaine, receiving stolen property and possessing criminal tools.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit launched their inquiry into Channel’s after an investigation into an apartment complex on East High Street near South Belmont Avenue in Springfield in July.
Clark County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Christopher Clarke said undercover narcotics officers witnessed activity at that address and deputies were able to gather enough evidence to obtain a search warrant.
During the search warrant execution on Sept. 25, deputies found stolen guns and drugs, according to an affidavit filed in Channel’s case.
RELATED: Springfield drug dealer sentenced to prison
“During the search, a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine, a loaded SKS 7.62 rifle along with a large amount of suspected crack cocaine and pills were in the apartment,” the affidavit said.
The sheriff’s office also found a 2-year-old child in the home, Clark County Sheriff Deb Burchett said in September.
“There were some weapons just sitting around the area,” Burchett said. “It’s very dangerous with that child running around. A 2-year-old can pick them up at any time.”
Clark County Prosecutor Dan Driscoll said in a post on his Facebook page on Thursday, that during the search warrant deputies also found a digital scale, more than $800 and more than 63 grams of cocaine.
“For perspective, a Snickers candy bar only weighs about 50 grams,” Driscoll said.
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