A Logan County jury on Tuesday convicted Triston Sholty, of South Bend, Ind., of gross sexual imposition, a fourth-degree felony, but found the State of Ohio failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Logan County was the proper venue for a related rape charge.
The verdict came after more than three hours of deliberation. Before reaching its decision, the jury sent a note to Logan County Court of Common Pleas Judge Kevin P. Braig stating it was having difficulty achieving unanimity. Judge Braig brought the jurors back into the courtroom for additional instruction, after which they returned to continue deliberations and ultimately reached a verdict.
Investigators said Sholty and the victim knew each other through their participation in gaming on the Xbox Live platform. According to testimony, Sholty traveled to Logan County on November 30, 2019, and the two went to Springfield in Clark County for dinner before visiting a Walmart store there. Prosecutors argued that the conduct leading to the rape charge began in Clark County but was part of an unbroken chain of events that continued into Logan County, making venue proper. The jury disagreed, finding the state had not established venue for the rape offense.
Judge Braig ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set sentencing for January 8, 2026, on the gross sexual imposition conviction.
Logan County Assistant Prosecutor Nathan Yohey represented the state. Sholty was represented by Dayton criminal defense attorney Griff Nowicki.
