Silas Shelton, an Ohio pastor whose viral rant against an LGBTQ-themed book series at a school book fair prompted his local district to restrict future events, has pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
At an April 20 hearing in Clinton County Common Pleas Court, Shelton, 49, of Morrow and a former pastor at Blanchester Community Church, accepted a plea deal negotiated April 17, three days before a scheduled five-day jury trial, the Wilmington News Journal reports.
As part of the deal, Shelton pleaded guilty to three counts of third-degree felony unlawful sexual conduct and one count of menacing by stalking, which was reduced from a fourth-degree felony to a first-degree misdemeanor, according to Clinton County Prosecutor Brian Shidaker.
In exchange, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining charges in a 12-count indictment, including rape, gross sexual imposition, sexual battery, and arson.
Prosecutors said the charges stem from three separate incidents and qualify as third-degree felonies because Shelton was at least 10 years older than the victim.
Assistant Prosecutor Andrew Sievers said Shelton knew the victim and her family through their church — where he later became pastor in 2020 — and through his son. In the summer of 2019, Shelton allegedly asked the victim, who lived in Wilmington with her parents, to work for his construction business.
“He would pick her up most weekdays and return her home on days that typically no one was present,” Sievers said in court. Sievers said Shelton began engaging in sexual conduct with the victim, who was 14 at the time, in September 2019.
According to Cincinnati NBC affiliate WLWT, the indictment alleges the abuse occurred multiple times between September and December 2019 at Shelton’s home in Morrow, at Cowan Lake, and in hotel rooms at the Holiday Inn at the Roberts Centre in Wilmington.
Prosecutors also said that from July 29 to August 6, 2025, Shelton made harassing phone calls and false reports to the young woman’s employer, nearly six years after their last contact. Authorities told him to cease contact, but he allegedly continued reaching out by text, email, and social media, causing her distress.
Each of the three felony counts of unlawful sexual conduct carries a potential prison term of one to five years in prison, with a maximum of 15 years in prison if the sentences run consecutively, rather than concurrently. The misdemeanor stalking charge carries a potential jail term of up to 180 days.
If sentenced to prison, Shelton would face five years of post-release supervision and be classified as a Tier II sex offender, requiring in-person registration every 180 days for 25 years.
Shelton, who remains out on bond, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 22.
In 2023, Shelton spoke at a Little Miami School District Board of Education meeting, criticizing LGBTQ books at a Scholastic Book Fair — specifically Alice Oseman’s graphic novel series Heartstopper — and insinuating they were part of an effort to groom children into identifying as LGBTQ.
“I don’t think kids should ever question their sexuality. I don’t think kids should ever explore their sexuality. I don’t think any of that stuff ever ought to be in our school,” Shelton said, also railing against Pride flags and the “health risks” of being gay. The remarks were recorded and widely shared on social media.
“I don’t understand why we have this kind of stuff in our libraries, in our book fairs,” he said. “I tell you, I got sick reading that stuff today.”
Following Shelton’s remarks and other complaints, the district temporarily halted all book fairs and formed a committee to review potentially objectionable material.
The district later limited book fairs to two days and moved them to evenings during parent-teacher conferences so students would be supervised by parents.
The Oktyabrsky District Court in Saratov -- about 500 miles southeast of Moscow -- has fined local news agency SaratovBusinessConsulting (SarBC) 500,000 rubles, or roughly $6,600, for publishing a review of the widely banned HBO gay romance series Heated Rivalry, according to the Russian independent outlet Mediazona.
The charge stems from Russia’s law banning the dissemination of "LGBT propaganda." While the series is barred from television and streaming services in the country, some viewers have still accessed it through virtual private networks or pirated sites.
"With every book I start, I always try to have an internal dialogue with myself about why I'm writing this, why this story, why these characters, why everything," says Sara Raasch. "I always want to make sure I'm coming at it from a place of genuineness, that it's something that I want to do, and that I'm not forced into it or following trends."
For the 36-year-old New York Times bestselling author, the narrative path often leads to magic. "I always come back to magic because I love that sense of escapism, that sense that there's something else magical about the world -- something that makes it fantastical, this element of fantasy and joy."
An Ohio bill pushed by Republicans would create a new criminal offense of "unlawful adult cabaret performances," targeting what it deems "obscene" performances in public spaces where minors may be present.
Titled the "Indecent Exposure Modernization Act," the measure defines an "adult cabaret" as venues such as nightclubs, bars, restaurants, or bottle clubs -- regardless of whether they serve alcohol -- that feature performers who "appear in a state of nudity or seminudity," as well as live or recorded content depicting specific anatomical areas or sexual activity.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.