Lynchburg man sentenced for retaliation
A Lynchburg man serving a nine-year prison term for felonious assault was sentenced Tuesday to an additional 18 months after pleading guilty to retaliation.
Robert G. Jackson, 58, was charged with retaliation, a third-degree felony, and violating a protection order or consent agreement, a first-degree misdemeanor, during the September 2023 Highland County grand jury session. He pleaded guilty Jan. 30 to the retaliation charge.
The indictment alleged that “on or about Aug. 3 and in Fairfield County and as a continuing course of criminal conduct in Highland County,” Jackson “did purposely and by force or, by unlawful threat … retaliate against the victim of a crime because the victim filed or prosecuted criminal charges.” At the time of the offense, Jackson was housed in the Southern Ohio Correctional Institution in Lancaster, which is in Fairfield County.
As previously reported, Jackson was sentenced May 4, 2023 to seven years in prison for a second-degree felonious assault charge, consecutive to two years for a third-degree felony abduction charge, for a total of nine years in prison.
A bill of particulars alleged that in February 2023, a Highland County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a residence after the victim was heard screaming for help on an open-line 911 call. Upon officers’ arrival, the victim reported that Jackson had hit the victim, slammed the victim’s head into a door and beat the victim with a chair. A “large amount of blood” was observed in the residence, with the victim reportedly “bleeding profusely” from the head.
The victim was “later diagnosed with multiple injuries,” the bill of particulars says, including broken bones, a laceration, a puncture wound and concussion, which resulted in various medical procedures, including surgery, stitches and staples.
During the plea hearing in Highland County Common Pleas Court Tuesday, it was brought out that Jackson had written to the victim in that case.
“One thing I want to tell you is it may sound like a good idea to write the victim of your crime,” Judge Rocky Coss told Jackson. “It’s not. It’s not a good idea at all.”
Prior to sentencing, Jackson apologized for his actions. “My intention was never to ever go this far on either case,” he said.
Jackson told Coss he didn’t think the judge would have “more problems from me” in the future.
“I think you’re right about I’m not going to have any more problems with you, because by the time you get out of prison, I’m going to be retired,” Coss replied.
The judge added that Jackson has “shown a real lack of judgment” and has “some serious anger management problems.”
Coss sentenced Jackson to 18 months in prison, consecutive to his previously imposed sentence, for a new total of 10 and a half years.
Jackson is currently incarcerated in the Southeastern Correctional Institution, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. His prison term began May 12, 2023.