Dover man accepts 25 years to life rather than go to trial for sex crimes
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (July 17, 2023) – A 35-year-old Dover man will serve 25 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to rape and five other sex crimes, some involving children.
Adrian Marsh opted to bypass an indictment, jury trial, and the hearings and court appearances that typically come with a felony case.
He instead waived his rights to a grand jury review and jury trial, entered guilty pleas, and accepted the sentence agreed upon by his attorney and the prosecutor and handed down by Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court Judge Mike Ernest Monday.
That’s a life sentence with the possibility of parole in 25 years.
Ernest admitted he typically has more information about a case before sentencing, but agreed to what he called a serious punishment. He noted more than once that the sentence for rape is 15 years to life in prison, and Marsh was agreeing to a harsher sentence.
“This does spare children from coming into a courtroom and … I presume discussing the worst thing that ever happened to them, so I respect the state of Ohio’s wishes as well as your counsel’s in fashioning what is an appropriate, severe sentence but also respects the wishes of the victims.”
The charges include rape, a first-degree felony; gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony; pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, a second-degree felony; importuning, a fourth-degree felony; sexual conduct with an animal, a second-degree misdemeanor; and public indecency, a third-degree misdemeanor.
Marsh read a statement in court saying he is ashamed and sorry.
“I allowed my sex addiction and my online sex habits to grow out of control and kind of take over all my thinking. By participating in online sex communities, I was opening the door for sickness or sicknesses that I didn’t even realize were possible… I take full ownership for my mistakes, and I hope other people struggling with sex and social media addictions do not fall into the same twisted traps I did. Children are precious, not pawns. Lust is not worth losing your soul over.”
Prosecutor Scott Deedrick said the victims are receiving counseling.
Dover Police Detective Jason Peters said the case began earlier this year when he received a tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children task force.
Police arrested Marsh in May, and he has been in the Tuscarawas County jail since. He will get credit for that time served. He also waived his right to appeal.