Sardinia man sentenced to 5 years in prison for Highland County GSI case

A Sardinia man convicted at trial of one count of gross sexual imposition has been sentenced to five years in prison.

As previously reported, a jury seated in Highland County Common Pleas Court returned a verdict June 9 convicting Ronald Shepard, 68, of gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony.

During a hearing held June 5, Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss sentenced Shepard to a definite determinate term of 60 months in prison. Shepard had jail time credit of three days.

In addition, Shepard will be classified as a tier II sex offender, which requires registration every 180 days for 25 years.

According to documents filed with the case, beginning in 2021 and continuing thereafter, it was alleged that Shepard “did have sexual contact with” a minor victim or cause the victim and another “to have sexual contact.”   It is alleged that during that time frame, Shepard both touched a minor victim inappropriately, over and under the victim’s clothing, and made the minor victim touch Shepard’s genitals. A bill of particulars filed in February alleged that Shepard allowed the child to “use his electronic devices in exchange for sexual favors.”
 
The trial began the morning of May 8 and continued until approximately 5:40 p.m. After a little more than an hour of deliberations, the jury asked to be dismissed for the evening. They returned May 9 at 8:30 a.m. to continue deliberations, with the verdict read around 9 a.m.

Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins presented several witnesses, beginning with the victim. The victim’s mother also took the stand. Expert witness Ashley Cremeans, a social worker for the Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children, and Detective Sergeant Vincent Antinore of the Highland County Sheriff’s Office, who investigated the case, both testified as well.

The defense called one witness, the wife of Shepard.

Defense attorney Adam Bleile attempted to discredit the victim in his opening and closing arguments, portraying the victim as a “liar.” He also criticized the investigation into the case.

Collins refuted that argument, telling the jury that the victim’s story “has never changed” throughout the investigation and during testimony.

“It’s the same story over and over,” Collins said. “You know why? Because the truth doesn’t change.”