Chesy man arraigned for child pornography charges

Published 10:01 am Friday, June 29, 2012

A Chesapeake man accused of raping a minor was arraigned on additional charges of child pornography Wednesday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.

Brian Evans, 45, of 4004 State Route 7, was arraigned on one count each of second-degree pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor and pandering obscenity involving a minor, as well as third-degree tampering with evidence.

According to Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Smith, new evidence was presented to the grand jury last week, which showed Evans had photographed a minor engaging in sexual activity. Evans is also accused of taking obscene photos of the minor.

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Evans pleaded not guilty to the new charges through his attorney, Luke Styer.

Evans was previously arraigned and pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree rape of the same minor.

Judge Charles Cooper set bond at $100,000 and scheduled a pretrial for July 11.

In other cases:

• A Huntington, W.Va., woman was sentenced for trafficking cocaine.

Courtney Mitchell, 23, of 216 28th St., previously pleaded guilty to first degree trafficking in cocaine, third-degree tampering with evidence and misdemeanor endangering children.

Cooper sentenced Mitchell to six months in jail for the misdemeanor charge, three years in prison for tampering with evidence and six years for trafficking, all to be served concurrently for a total of six years in prison.

Mitchell was also ordered to pay a $15,000 fine, suspend driver’s license for one year and to forfeit $1,104 in cash that was found on her person when she was arrested.

Mitchell was represented by attorney Scott Evans.

In early April, Mitchell and three others were arrested when an officer with the Hanging Rock Police Department stopped a vehicle they were in. The officer said the passengers began to act suspiciously. A search of the car and suspects netted 44 grams of cocaine and more than $2,000 in cash.

• Maria Carter, 41, of 1566 Northridge Road, Columbus, was sentenced on a misdemeanor charge of endangering children to which she previously guilty to.

Cooper sentenced Carter to 180 days in the county jail, with 150 suspended, for a total of 30 days in jail. Carter will also have three years of probation and must participate in outpatient drug counseling as a condition of her probation.

Carter was represented by attorney Scott Evans.

• Thomas Ratliff, 20, of 301 Third St. East, South Point, was sentenced for second-degree attempted aggravated burglary and one misdemeanor count of assault, to which he previously pleaded guilty.

Cooper sentenced Ratliff to four years in prison plus six months in jail for the misdemeanor count, all the run concurrently, for a total four years in prison.

Ratliff was represented by Styer.