Port Clinton doctor guilty of sex counts

3/6/2007

PORT CLINTON - A Port Clinton family physician pleaded guilty yesterday to disseminating sexually oriented material involving juveniles over the Internet.

Marc LeDuc, 43, of Catawba Island Township, entered the pleas in Ottawa County Common Pleas Court to three felonies contained in a bill of information: pandering obscenity involving a minor, attempted pandering obscenity, and pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor.

Visiting Judge J. Ronald Bowman, a retired Lucas County common pleas judge, scheduled sentencing for May 24 and allowed LeDuc to remain at home on $100,000 bond and electronic monitoring. He may leave home only for counseling and appointments with legal counsel.

Lorrain Croy, an assistant county prosecutor, said LeDuc could be sentenced to as much as 14 1/2 years in prison and be fined up to $30,000. She said as part of the agreement with LeDuc, prosecutors would make no recommendation as to sentencing. Actual victims also will not be called to present impact statements.

"Society is the victim," Ms. Croy said. "Somewhere there are boys there are pictures of, but these people are not someone we can contact and say give us a victim impact. It's society that's victimized."

According to court documents, LeDuc engaged in online conversations with a Keene, N.H., police officer posing as a 14-year-old boy over a 2 1/2-month period. The two discussed sexually explicit acts, and LeDuc sent the undercover officer digital photos of boys exposing themselves.

A spokesman for the Ohio State Medical Board said LeDuc's medical license remains active at this time, although a felony conviction or even a misdemeanor conviction "involving moral turpitude" is grounds for disciplinary action.