Ottawa County man guilty of having sex with boy

3/22/2005

An Ottawa County man arrested when he showed up at a Toledo mall to meet a 13-year-old boy was convicted yesterday of a sex offense for an earlier incident with the victim.

Jerry Lee Hackett, 38, of 15242 West State Rt. 2 in Benton Township, pleaded no contest in Lucas County Common Pleas Court to one count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

He was found guilty of the charge by Judge Charles Doneghy.

Undercover police officers arrested Hackett on Jan. 10 at Southwyck Shopping Center, where the boy, under the direction of police, had agreed to arrange a meeting.

Lori Olender, an assistant prosecutor, said the victim, who is now 14, had previously engaged in sex with Hackett on Dec. 2 at a motel in the 1100 block of South Reynolds Road.

Authorities said the boy's father found material in his son's room that indicated he was meeting men online. He called police, and the boy told investigators he'd had several affairs, including one with Hackett, whom he said he had met in November through an Internet chat room.

Ms. Olender said Hackett admitted to police that he had sex with the victim.

Hackett will be sentenced on April 26 when Judge Doneghy will conduct a hearing to determine a sexual offender classification. He faces a maximum prison sentence of five years.