Teacher pleads guilty in sex case

By D.a. Wilkinson

The victim and her family did not want the defendant to go to prison.

LISBON — The Columbiana County Prosecutor’s Office will recommend a six-month prison term for a former Columbiana school district teacher who had sex with one of his students.

Tim McNicol, the assistant county prosecutor who handles sex cases, said Monday that Joseph Neiheisel, 26, of Cherry Fork Road, Leetonia, had pleaded guilty Friday to his indictment on a charge of sexual battery.

Under the agreement. Neiheisel would serve his time at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center in Wintersville.

Neiheisel’s plea agreement also calls for five years of probation.

The charge could have brought up to a maximum of five years in prison.

Court records say that Neiheisel was indicted after he had consensual sex with the student at a home on Springfield Road on Sept. 20, 2008.

Neiheisel was the girl’s physics teacher, according to court records.

The recommendation came after “the victim and certain members of her family did not want to see Mr. Neiheisel prosecuted,” McNicol said.

The assistant prosecutor said the victim and her parents were pleased and were in favor of the resolution. McNicol said that Neiheisel will automatically lose his teaching license in Ohio and every other state.

He’ll also be required to register his address with the county sheriff’s office.

The age of consent for sexual activity in Ohio is 16.

Ohio law, however, bars sexual relationships between teachers and their students. That’s because the teacher is acting in lieu of the parents in supervising the student.

The investigation by Columbiana police indicated that the teacher and student spent about 77 hours on the phone around the time of the act.

Columbiana schools Superintendent Ron Iarussi said the district received a tip about the case Nov. 6. The matter was then referred to Columbiana County Children Services for investigation. Iarussi was unavailable for comment.

The district first suspended Neiheisel with pay, then suspended him without pay and then ended his contract.

Scott Blake, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Education, said that the plea would start the process for revocation of Neiheisel’s teaching credentials.

Sentencing is set for Aug. 28.

wilkinson@vindy.com