Lancaster man sentenced to 20 years for kidnapping, gross sexual imposition

Aaron Burd, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
·1 min read
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LANCASTER − A Lancaster man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for an attempted abduction of a Lancaster City Schools student in March of 2022.

Charles Stearns, 36, was indicted in March of 2022 in Fairfield County Common Pleas Court for an incident in which he was accused of attempting to abduct a Lancaster City Schools student who, according to court documents, was younger than 13 years old.

On May 26, Stearns pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping, a first-degree felony, and two counts of gross sexual imposition, both third-degree felonies. He received a total sentence of 20 years in prison, according to Fairfield County Prosecutor Kyle Witt.

Aaron Burd is a breaking news and government reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him via email at AMBurd@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on Twitter @AaronMBurd.

This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Lancaster man sentenced to 20 years for kidnapping, gross sexual imposition