A Republican mayor in Ohio is facing criminal allegations after authorities say he was recorded on a concealed camera smelling an underage girl’s underwear.

An incident report from the Richland county sheriff’s Office details the accusations against Wesley Dingus, 48, who serves as mayor of Butler. The claims came from a juvenile who had been staying at his residence.

According to investigators, the teen had hidden a small camera in a bedroom in the home. On 13 January, she reportedly received multiple motion alerts indicating recordings had been captured. Deputies say the footage showed Dingus smelling at least four pairs of her underwear “for several seconds” and also “touching his groin area over his clothes”.

Richland county children’s services passed the report along to law enforcement the same day the alleged incident occurred, and a deputy later interviewed the girl at her school.

A deputy later contacted Dingus and arranged a meeting, but the conversation did not happen after his attorney advised canceling it, local news outlet WKYC reported. Authorities arrested Dingus nearly a month later, an action that took place on 13 February.

  • WanderWisley@lemmy.world
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    8 hours ago

    Once again, not a democrat, not an immigrant, not a drag queen, not a trans athlete, not a member of the LGBTQ community, not a black person. Just good ol fashioned classic republican.

  • mechoman444@lemmy.world
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    11 hours ago

    Ok wait… Hold on… This guy sniffs some panties… Which honestly although disgusting and indicative, isn’t illegal. But they arrest him anyway…

    But if they arrest anyone in the Epstein files the system will collapse? By all accounts and the precedent currently set this man should have been left alone and even given some kind of promotion or award.

    • Serinus@lemmy.world
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      9 hours ago

      charging Dingus with voyeurism

      Ohio Revised Code Section 2907.08 | Voyeurism

      (A) No person, for the purpose of sexually arousing or gratifying the person’s self, shall commit trespass or otherwise surreptitiously invade the privacy of another, to spy or eavesdrop upon another.

      (2) A violation of division (A) of this section is a misdemeanor of the third degree.

      • Lemming6969@lemmy.world
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        6 hours ago

        Whether we like it or not, it’s not trespass and it wasn’t to spy on or eavesdrop. In fact the hidden camera in his house actually qualifies more, but likely wouldn’t qualify for gratification.

        • PumaStoleMyBluff@lemmy.world
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          5 hours ago

          trespass or surreptitiously invade the privacy of another.

          The camera was in her room in his house. They don’t cover the details of the arrangement, but she’s very likely at least a tenant-at-will, which comes with rights.

  • ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world
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    18 hours ago

    Claims against Wesley Dingus came from teen who had been staying at his residence and hid camera in bedroom

    That is a very unfortunate last name.

    • Blueliner@lemmy.world
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      17 hours ago

      Did he live up to his name, or did his name damn him to a lifetime of dingus decisions?

      The answer is yes.