Not guilty plea entered in sex-pandering charge

2/28/2006

DEFIANCE A former Defiance County man, indicted on 13 counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor after a U.S. Department of Homeland Security investigation, pleaded not guilty yesterday.

Brian Richard, 37, of the Dayton suburb of Beavercreek, is to appear again in Defiance County Common Pleas Court for a pretrial hearing March 22. He is accused of having child pornography on his computer in December, 2002, when he lived in Defiance County.

One count against him is a second-degree felony punishable by up to eight years in prison and a $15,000 fine. The other 12 counts are fourth-degree felonies, each punishable by up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.