A jury has returned a verdict in the case of a former Preble County sheriff’s deputy who served as a school employee and was accused of having a sexual relationship with a student.
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Mason Williams, 26, was found guilty Wednesday of two counts of sexual battery and one count of tampering with evidence.
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Such as News Center 7 previously reported, Williams was accused of having a consensual relationship with an 18-year-old National Trail High School student outside the school setting earlier this year.
Williams had been the student resource officer at the National Trail School District for about two years.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Williams had deleted electronic correspondence with the victim, leading to evidence tampering.
The case was the fourth involving illegal sexual conduct involving a student that the Ohio Attorney General’s Office has prosecuted in recent years, Dave Yost’s office said.
“Parents shouldn’t have to worry about predators when they send their children to school,” Yost said. “There is no age or so-called consent that makes it appropriate for a school employee to have sex with a student.”
Williams will be sentenced on December 16 at 1 p.m. In addition to the possible prison sentence, he will also have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
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