Winchester man sentenced in child rape case
Lead Summary
By
The Highland County Press-
A Winchester man was sentenced to prison Monday after pleading guilty to rape and gross sexual imposition, one week before a jury trial was scheduled to begin in Brown County Common Pleas Court.
As previously reported, Billy Sheeley, 48, was indicted in June 2020 on 29 charges, including six counts of rape, a first-degree felony; three counts of endangering children, a second-degree felony; three counts of felonious assault, a second-degree felony, all with sexual motivation specifications; 11 counts of illegal use of a minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance, a second-degree felony; five counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, a second-degree felony; and one count of sexual conduct with an animal, a second-degree misdemeanor.
On Aug. 16, Sheeley pleaded guilty to two counts of rape of a victim under 10, both first-degree felonies; and an amended count of gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony, with a specification that the victim was under the age of 13. The remaining 26 charges were dismissed.
Brown County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Gusweiler sentenced Sheeley to life with possibility of parole after 15 years on each of the two rape charges, in addition to five years for the gross sexual imposition charge. All three sentences are to be served consecutively, for a total minimum sentence of 35 years to life.
Sheeley had 460 days of jail time credit.
If released from prison, Sheeley will be classified as a tier III sex offender, which requires registration every 90 days for life.
As previously reported, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office alleged that “Amber Brewer [then 26, of Hamersville] and Billy Sheeley, [then] 47, of Winchester, were involved in sexual activity with children ranging in age from 2 to 8 years of age” in a press release in May 2020.
Brewer was already sentenced to four counts of life without parole for her role in this case, as she pleaded guilty in September 2020 to four counts of rape, a first-degree felony, with all counts involving a victim less than 10 years of age.
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As previously reported, Billy Sheeley, 48, was indicted in June 2020 on 29 charges, including six counts of rape, a first-degree felony; three counts of endangering children, a second-degree felony; three counts of felonious assault, a second-degree felony, all with sexual motivation specifications; 11 counts of illegal use of a minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance, a second-degree felony; five counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, a second-degree felony; and one count of sexual conduct with an animal, a second-degree misdemeanor.
On Aug. 16, Sheeley pleaded guilty to two counts of rape of a victim under 10, both first-degree felonies; and an amended count of gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony, with a specification that the victim was under the age of 13. The remaining 26 charges were dismissed.
Brown County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Gusweiler sentenced Sheeley to life with possibility of parole after 15 years on each of the two rape charges, in addition to five years for the gross sexual imposition charge. All three sentences are to be served consecutively, for a total minimum sentence of 35 years to life.
Sheeley had 460 days of jail time credit.
If released from prison, Sheeley will be classified as a tier III sex offender, which requires registration every 90 days for life.
As previously reported, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office alleged that “Amber Brewer [then 26, of Hamersville] and Billy Sheeley, [then] 47, of Winchester, were involved in sexual activity with children ranging in age from 2 to 8 years of age” in a press release in May 2020.
Brewer was already sentenced to four counts of life without parole for her role in this case, as she pleaded guilty in September 2020 to four counts of rape, a first-degree felony, with all counts involving a victim less than 10 years of age.
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