Ex-deputy charged over inmate sex acts avoids prison time

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — A former Ohio jail officer accused of having two female inmates perform oral sex on him will avoid prison but spend three years on probation and have to register as a sex offender.

Former Clark County deputy Marcus Johnson IV was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of gross sexual imposition.

The Springfield News-Sun reports the 27-year-old apologized and requested leniency, saying he wanted to remain involved in his young daughters’ lives.

Clark County Assistant Prosecutor Megan Farley had pushed for prison time, telling the judge Johnson misused his position of authority and made it harder for the public to trust other officers in the community.

Judge Douglas Rastatter said, however, he considered various factors in sentencing, including what he saw as genuine remorse by Johnson.