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Rep. Coley wants to up sex penalty

Bill would increase jail time and fines for crimes against 13- to 15-year-olds.

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By Lauren Pack, Staff Writer Updated 12:54 AM Saturday, November 28, 2009

WEST CHESTER TWP. — A year after a West Chester Twp. teenager was molested by a Middletown man, a bill has been introduced to increase penalties for those who commit such crimes.

The bill sponsored by State Rep. Bill Coley, R-Liberty Twp., was introduced Wednesday, Nov. 25, in Columbus. It would change the punishment for anyone convicted of sexual imposition involving 13- to 15-year-olds. Currently the crime is a third-degree misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $500. The bill would make the crime a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and up to $1,000 in fines.

Jeffrey Sempsrott, 47, was a youth leader at the family’s church last fall when he fondled the then-14-year-old girl’s chest while she was staying in his home while her parents were traveling. Sempsrott was found guilty of sexual imposition and sentenced by Middletown Municipal Court Judge Mark Wall to serve a 30-day jail sentence.

Sempsrott was also classified as a Tier I sex offender — meaning that upon his release from jail, he must register his address annually with the sheriff’s office for 15 years.

“When I discovered that the sex crime of this nature was considered a third-degree misdemeanor, I was outraged,” said the mother. The difference in penalties is based on the victim’s age under the current law.

“Did you realize that in the state of Ohio cruelty to animals is considered a second-degree misdemeanor and sexual imposition to an innocent child is only a third-degree misdemeanor? Isn’t my daughter or any other child worth more than a dog or a cat? This is simply ludicrous.”

Sexual contact with a victim age 12 and younger is gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony, which is punishable by a maximum five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.

Coley said the bill would add a step in between the felony charge and young teens who are victimized.

“It didn’t seem right that there was not a penalty step in between, especially when we are talking about a minor victim,” Coley said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2168 or lpack@coxohio.com.

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