State v. Jessee, Unpublished Decision (2-16-2007)
State v. Jessee, Unpublished Decision (2-16-2007)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} On four occasions between December 9, 2004, and March 4, 2005, Defendant used his home computer to solicit sex from a Springfield police detective who was posing as a fourteen year old girl. As a result, Springfield police obtained a warrant to search Defendant's home. On April 15, 2005, Fairborn police officers executed that warrant and searched at Defendant's home at 247 W. Routsong Drive in Fairborn. Defendant's personal computer was seized by police, and a subsequent examination of the hard drive revealed 138 images of child pornography.
{¶ 3} As a result of these events, Defendant was indicted in Clark County on four counts of importuning in violation of R.C.
{¶ 4} Defendant was also indicted in Greene County on four counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity oriented material or performances, R.C.
{¶ 5} Defendant timely appealed to this court from his conviction and sentence in Greene County. Defendant challenges only his classification as an habitual sex offender.
FIRST ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR
{¶ 6} "THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN LABELING THE DEFENDANT A HABITUAL SEX OFFENDER."
{¶ 7} R.C.
{¶ 8} Defendant argues that his Clark County conviction cannot be used as the basis for a habitual sex offender classification because those importuning offenses were linked to or part of the same transaction or course of criminal conduct as the Greene County child pornography offenses. However, we need not address that issue because a more *Page 4 fundamental and fatal flaw exists with respect to Defendant's classification as an habitual sex offender.
{¶ 9} Defendant's previous conviction in Clark County for importuning in violation of R.C.
{¶ 10} On this record, Defendant has not been convicted on two or more separate occasions of "sexually oriented offenses."
{¶ 11} Therefore, he does not meet the statutory definition of an habitual sex offender in R.C. 2950.01(B).State v. Wilkerson (2000), 138 Ohio App.3d 861. Accordingly, the trial *Page 5 court erred as a matter of law in classifying Defendant as such.
{¶ 12} Defendant's assignment of error is sustained. The trial court's classification of Defendant as an habitual sex offender is reversed, and this matter is remanded to the trial court for further proceedings. Otherwise, Defendant's conviction and sentence is affirmed.
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