Skip to main content

Sardinia man convicted of gross sexual imposition following Highland County jury trial

By
Caitlin Forsha, The Highland County Press

A jury seated in Highland County Common Pleas Court returned a verdict Tuesday morning convicting a Sardinia man of gross sexual imposition.

As previously reported, Ronald Shepard, 68, was charged with one count of gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony, during the February Highland County grand jury session.

Beginning in 2021 and continuing thereafter, it was alleged that Shepard “did have sexual contact with” a minor victim or cause the victim and another “to have sexual contact.”
 
It is alleged that during that time frame, Shepard both touched a minor victim inappropriately, over and under the victim’s clothing, and made the minor victim touch Shepard’s genitals. The bill of particulars filed in February alleged that Shepard allowed the child to “use his electronic devices in exchange for sexual favors.”  

The trial began Monday morning and continued until approximately 5:40 p.m. After a little more than an hour of deliberations, the jury asked to be dismissed for the evening. They returned Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. to continue deliberations, with the verdict read around 9 a.m.

After Highland County Clerk of Courts Ike Hodson read the guilty verdict Tuesday morning, Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss ordered a pre-sentence investigation for Shepard. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 7 at 10 a.m.

Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins presented several witnesses, beginning with the victim. The victim’s mother also took the stand.

Expert witness Ashley Cremeans, a social worker for the Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children, testified for much of the afternoon, with Collins playing a lengthy interview between Cremeans and the victim. The final witness called by the state was Detective Sergeant Vincent Antinore of the Highland County Sheriff’s Office, who investigated the case.

The defense called one witness, the wife of Shepard, on Monday afternoon, before closing arguments began shortly before 5 p.m.

Defense attorney Adam Bleile attempted to discredit the victim in his opening and closing arguments, portraying the victim as a “liar.” He also criticized the investigation into the case.

Collins refuted that argument, telling the jury that the victim’s story “has never changed” throughout the investigation and during testimony Monday.

“It’s the same story over and over,” Collins said. “You know why? Because the truth doesn’t change.”

Collins argued that Shepard caused the victim’s life to become “a nightmare and living hell.”

“We have proven each element beyond a reasonable doubt,” she told the jury. “Now it’s time for you to do your part. Find the defendant guilty of touching [the victim]. Find him guilty of gross sexual imposition.”