61-year-old man indicted on 3 counts of gross sexual imposition

Shelley Terry, Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio
·1 min read
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Oct. 7—JEFFERSON — An Ashtabula County grand jury last week indicted a 61-year-old man on three counts of gross sexual imposition with a minor, according to court records.

Dennis Cox, who owns homes in Painesville and Pierpont, is out of jail on a $15,000 personal recognizance bond with the stipulation that he have no contact with the victims, according to court records.

A pre-trial hearing is set for Oct. 24 in Ashtabula County Common Pleas Judge Marianne Sezon's courtroom.

A jury trial is tentatively set for Jan. 6, records show.

In January 2021, Cox also was accused of gross sexual imposition, but just before the start of the trial in July 2022, prosecutors dismissed the charges without prejudice, according to court records.

On Thursday, County Prosecutor Colleen O'Toole explained what happened.

"The police officer was not available [for the scheduled trial date] and Judge Sezon denied our continuance," she said. "So, we needed to re-indict him."

Prosecutors resubmitted the charges to a grand jury and got another indictment last week, records show.

Cox has retained Painesville attorney Daniel Williams to represent him.