On Tuesday, James Ebright, 43, of Bellefontaine, was sentenced in Logan County Common Pleas Court after pleading guilty to one count of Rape, a first-degree felony, and two counts of Gross Sexual Imposition involving a victim under 13, third-degree felonies.
The court heard statements from the victim’s mother, arguments from the Prosecutor’s Office, the defendant’s counsel, Griff Nowicki, and a statement from Ebright.
After reviewing the pre-sentence investigation report and weighing aggravating and mitigating factors, Judge Kevin P. Braig sentenced Ebright to the maximum prison term of 11-16.5 years in prison for the Rape charge and 5 years for each Gross Sexual Imposition charge, to be served consecutively, resulting in a total sentence of 21-26.5 years in prison.
Ebright will be a Tier III registered sex offender with a lifetime duty to register upon his release from prison.
Assistant Prosecutor Erin Rosen, representing the State of Ohio at sentencing, explained the plea agreement spared the victim—under 10 years old at the time of the offense—from testifying in court at trial, potentially preventing further trauma. As part of the agreement, several additional charges against Ebright were dismissed.
