Defendant pleads to sexually abusing boy

Created on Wednesday, 20 February 2013 Written by NATE SMITH

The defendant in a nearly two-year-old sexual abuse case pleaded guilty Monday before Logan County Common Pleas Court Judge Mark S. O’Connor to a reduced misdemeanor charge.

Bernard Hartman, 20, of Piqua, pleaded guilty to sexual imposition, a third-degree misdemeanor. He will be labeled a Tier I sexual offender and must annually report his address to law enforcement for 15 years.

He was arrested in February 2011 after a member of the victim’s family walked in on Mr. Hartman fondling the seven-year-old boy.

An October 2011 grand jury indictment charged Mr. Hartman with one count of gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony.

According to police reports taken at the time of arrest, the defendant was a weekend guest at a residence on the west side of the city when the incident took place.

In interviews with police following his arrest, Mr. Hartman said he’d been arrested for “sexually assaulting a seven-year-old,” Chief Assistant Prosecutor Eric Stewart said.

Attorneys are jointly recommending community control and psychological and sexual counseling when the defendant is sentenced March 25, following a presentence investigation.

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Read more Logan County Common Pleas Court news in Wednesday's Examiner.

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