OTTAWA COUNTY, Ohio — A former Ohio police officer pleaded guilty to multiple child sex crime charges, including rape.
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The charges against 24-year-old Austin Sabo, a former police officer with the Walbridge Police Department, stem from an investigation that resulted in four separate indictments, CBS affiliate WTOL-11 reported.
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Last week, Sabo withdrew his previous plea of not guilty and pleaded guilty in Ottawa County Common Pleas Court to the following charges:
- 4 counts of Illegal use of a minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance
- 1 count of Rape
- 2 counts of Unlawful sexual conduct with a minor
- 1 count of Sexual battery
- 1 count of Disseminating matter harmful to juveniles
Sabo was arrested in November 2024 after authorities said he admitted to an allegation of “exchanging nude images with a juvenile female” following a search warrant that was executed by law enforcement at his home in Oak Harbor, WTOL-11 reported.
Authorities said multiple victims were identified throughout the investigation, including the rape of a victim who was less than 13 years old.
Court documents obtained by WTOL-11 state that between May 20 and Sept. 30 in 2019, Sabo engaged in sexual conduct with a 12-year-old.
Sabo originally faced a total of 25 charges across the four separate indictments, including 14 felonies and 11 misdemeanors.
Sabo had recently been hired by the Walbridge Police Department before his arrest, according to Walbridge Mayor Ed Kolanko.
His employment was terminated on the same day of his arrest, WTOL-11 reported.
His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 9.
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