Hillsboro man sentenced to prison in case from 2021
Over three years after being indicted on two fifth-degree felony counts, a Hillsboro man was sentenced Wednesday to 10 months in prison.
As previously reported, George J. Dotzauer, 50, was indicted by a Highland County grand jury in April 2021 and charged with two fifth-degree felony counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance.
During a period from October to December of 2020, it was alleged Dotzauer “did recklessly possess or view material or a performance” depicting lewd or graphic images of a minor.
According to court records, Dotzauer pleaded guilty to one count on June 3, with the other count dismissed.
During the sentencing hearing July 10, Highland County Assistant Prosecutor Adam King and Dotzauer’s attorney, Danielle Whitt, asked Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss to follow the plea agreement, which recommended community control. Coss said he was “not real enthusiastic” about doing so.
“You were communicating — you thought — with a 14-year-old female with the clear intent to have a relationship with that individual,” Coss said. “That led to finding out about the photographs that you had. There were five photographs that you received of younger females, one of which that was in a complete state of nudity. That suggests to me that you could be a danger to young females in this community.”
Coss added that he is also “not big on giving sex offenders community control.”
Coss sentenced Dotzauer to 10 months in prison, with jail time credit of 72 days. Dotzauer was also classified as a tier I sex offender, which requires registration every 12 months for the next 15 years.
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