WILMINGTON — A local man pleaded guilty to predatory behavior toward a minor.
On Thursday, Clinton County Common Pleas Judge John “Tim” Rudduck accepted a guilty plea from Ethan Lake for one county of gross sexual imposition, a felony 3 offense.
With this, Lakes now faces up to three years in prison and may have to register as a Tier II sex offender. Court documents indicate that the sex offender classification will be argued at sentencing. There’s also a possibility of a $10,000 fine.
A charge of importuning (also felony 3) was dismissed in the plea.
Lakes, 23, of Blanchester, was indicted in January 2021 on the charges.
According to court documents, the importuning charge alleges that when the defendant was 15 years old, he solicited a 7-year-old child to engage in sexual activity with him. The gross sexual imposition charge alleges the defendant had sexual contact with the child.
Lakes is scheduled to be sentenced on January 4.
