MORROW COUNTY, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—A Morrow County jury found Jeremy Ashba guilty of gross sexual imposition, a fourth-degree felony, on Friday following a three-day trial. Ashba was remanded into custody immediately following the verdict.
The case, prosecuted by Morrow County Prosecutor Andrew Wick and Assistant Prosecutor Alicia Lentz, centered on the abuse of the daughter of Ashba’s fiancée. The investigation, led by Mount Gilead Police Detective Sergeant Beekman, determined that the abuse began in early March 2026 and escalated over the following weeks.
According to testimony provided during the trial, Ashba’s conduct progressed from inappropriate physical contact to entering the victim’s bedroom between 2:00 and 2:30 a.m. to forcibly touch her. The victim testified that she eventually ended the abuse on April 7 by kneeing Ashba in the groin.
The victim initially reported the incidents to her mother, but did not disclose the abuse to authorities until she attended a school presentation regarding sexual assault, consent, and dating violence. Following the presentation, she reached out to the Morrow County Prosecutor’s Office and the Department of Victim Services.
While three counts of gross sexual imposition were initially filed, the court dismissed two prior to jury deliberations, ruling that the prosecution could not definitively prove the actions were for the purpose of sexual gratification.
Prosecutor Wick praised the victim for her bravery in coming forward despite the difficult circumstances within her home.
“Being a teenager has never been easy, but this young woman endured something no child should ever have to experience,” Wick said in a statement. “Through this young woman’s courage, intuition, and decision to record certain events, she helped ensure that the count the jury was permitted to consider resulted in her abuser being convicted and facing prison time.”
Wick also commended the work of Detective Sergeant Beekman and the Morrow County Crime Victim Services Office for their support of the victim throughout the legal process.
The Morrow County Prosecutor’s Office intends to seek the maximum sentence permitted by law. Sentencing is scheduled for October 19, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Further details regarding the case are available through the Morrow County Clerk of Courts.