Two Trumbull men indicted on sex charges, one man sentenced

Staff report

WARREN

Two men were indicted on sex charges Thursday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court, while a third man — a former football coach — was sentenced to probation for having sexual contact with a 9-year-old girl.

Indicted on 12 counts of rape involving a girl under 16 years of age was Richard A. Benchea, 61, of Belvedere Avenue Southeast.

He also was indicted on two counts of gross sexual imposition related to the same girl. Those offenses are alleged to have occurred in 2009 and 2010. The rape counts date from 2010 to earlier this month, according to his indictment.

If convicted, Bencha could get a life prison sentence.

Indicted on two child-pornography counts was David A. Messer, 28, of Vienna Avenue in Niles, who is accused of taking sexually explicit photos with an 8-year-old girl.

The charges, which each carry a possible prison sentence of eight years, are illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance and pandering obscenity involving a minor.

Meanwhile, James M. Ingles Jr., 41, of Arlington Avenue in Niles, was sentenced to five years’ probation after pleading guilty earlier to gross sexual imposition involving a 9-year-old girl.

Judge Ronald Rice handed down the sentence Thursday. Ingles, a former assistant coach for the Niles Little Red Dragons football program, doesn’t remember the offense because he was intoxicated at the time, his attorney, Harry DePietro, told Judge Rice.

His offense is not related to his coaching, prosecutors said.

Ingles is declared a Tier 2 sex offender and is prohibited from using illegal drugs or alcohol, is subject to random drug testing, must abide by a curfew and is ordered to stay away from any minor unless the minor has an adult parent or guardian present.