43
Man must file as sex offender
YOUNGSTOWN
A disgruntled Lake County man, who prosecutors say wreaked havoc in the life of a local teacher with, among other things, sexual email to her co-workers, will be required to register as a sex offender and spend time on probation.
Robert McLaughlin, 63, of Painesville, pleaded guilty earlier this week to three counts of pandering obscenity and three counts of possessing criminal tools in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. He will be sentenced July 6 by Judge Maureen A. Sweeney.
McLaughlin, a retired member of the military and retired United States Postal Service employee, could be sentenced to two years in prison and fined $5,000.
Carla Baldwin Fields, an assistant county prosecutor, said the prosecutor’s office will recommend probation to the judge at the time of sentencing. She said there also will be a recommendation that McLaughlin forfeit his computers, identified as the criminal tools, and register as a sex offender.
Fields said McLaughlin sent email to co-workers and a list of others who know the 39-year-old sister of a woman he wanted to date. The victim is a teacher in the county.
“Someone was harassing her, and she didn’t know why. At the end of the day, we found out it was [McLaughlin]. He didn’t say why, but apparently she got in the way of his pursuit of this other woman,” she said. “He has to now register as a sex offender so we will always know where he is.”
According to police reports, in October, school personnel in Canfield received letters with return addresses to the victim and cards inside stating that the victim would do various sexual things. There also were papers left on the windshield of cars at Mahoning County Career and Technical Center advertising the woman for sexual favors.
Police detailed various Web pages concerning the woman and other material sent to educators throughout the county describing the woman sexually. The woman’s car also had been scratched leaving foul words on the doors.
Police, believing the harassment to be the work of a former boyfriend, launched an extensive investigation into the harassment. Police ultimately turned the investigation toward McLaughlin, serving a search warrant at his home in December.