Prison inmate arraigned on sex charges

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

A nearly 12-year-old case was back in the limelight Wednesday when an Ohio prison inmate was arraigned on rape and sexual battery charges in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.

Bobby Panning, 39, who is currently an inmate at the Allen Correctional Institution in Lima, entered pleas of not guilty to the charges on Wednesday. The rape charge is a first-degree felony, while the sexual battery count is a felony of the second degree.

Van Wert County Sheriff Tom Riggenbach said Wednesday that the case stems from 2002, when Panning was suspected of sexually assaulting a boy who was approximately 8 years old at the time. While there wasn’t enough evidence then to obtain an indictment, Sheriff Riggenbach said information provided in March by the alleged victim, now 18, allowed county detectives to reopen the case. Through their investigation, detectives were able to obtain enough evidence to take the case to the Van Wert County Grand Jury.

Indictments were handed down in the case during the May grand jury session this past Friday.

No bond was set for Panning, who has been serving a prison term in Ohio since 2004 on an unrelated rape charge, Sheriff Riggenbach said. Panning will appear for a pretrial conference at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, June 5.

Others arraigned on Wednesday in Common Pleas Court include the following:

Cody McGinnis, 29, of Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to a charge of endangering children, a felony of the fourth degree. He was released on a personal surety bond and a pretrial conference scheduled for 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 29.

Jerad Caldwell, 26, of Van Wert, entered a not guilty plea to a charge of possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. He will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. May 29.

Joshua Winget, 33, of Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to a charge of domestic violence, a felony of the fourth degree. He was released on a personal surety bond, with the specification that he have no contact with the alleged victim, and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. June 5.

Patrick Sweeten, 56, of Van Wert, entered a plea of not guilty to a charge of assault, a fourth-degree felony. He was ordered held on a $1,000 cash bond and a pretrial conference was scheduled for 8 a.m. Tuesday, May 14.

Drew Kenny, 19, no address listed, pleaded not guilty to a fifth-degree felony count of possession of drugs. He was released on a personal surety bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. June 5.

Joshua Rager, 28, of Van Wert, entered a not guilty plea to a charge of aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree. He was released on a personal surety bond, and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. June 5.

Nicollette Collins, 23, of Oakwood, pleaded not guilty to one count each of possession of heroin, and possession of drugs, both felonies of the fifth degree, She was released on a personal surety bond and a pretrial conference was set for 8 a.m. May 29.

Jason Kremer, 29, of Van Wert, entered a plea of not guilty to three counts of trafficking in drugs, each a felony of the fourth degree. He was ordered held on an $8,000 cash bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. May 14.

Ashley McKee, 29, of Van Wert, pleaded not guilty to three counts of trafficking in drugs, all fifth-degree felonies; a fourth-degree felony trafficking count and one count of possession of drugs, also a fifth-degree felony. She was released on a personal surety bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. June 5.

Darren Riggs, 42, of Van Wert, entered a not guilty plea to one count each of corrupting another with drugs, a fourth-degree felony, and endangering children, a misdemeanor of the first degree. He was released on a surety bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. June 5.

Dyllen Redding, 22, of Convoy, pleaded not guilty to two counts of possession of drugs, both felonies of the fifth degree. He was released on a personal surety bond and a pretrial conference was scheduled for 8 a.m. June 5.

Terry Warren Jr., 26, of Van Wert, entered a plea of not guilty to two counts of possession of drugs, each a felony of the fifth degree. He was ordered held on a $5,000 cash bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. May 14.

Also on Wednesday, two people changed their plea to guilty during hearings in Common Pleas Court.

Ruth Napier Caldwell, 21, of Van Wert, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of attempted illegal conveyance of drugs into a government facility, a fourth-degree felony. The charge was downgraded from illegal conveyance of drugs into a government facility, a felony of the third degree. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, June 12.

Christopher Spaeth, 36, of Sabina, pleaded guilty to a charge of non-support of dependents, a felony of the fifth degree. He then requested, and was granted, admission into the prosecutor’s diversion program.

One man was also sentenced on Wednesday. Joel Crawford, 24, of Van Wert, was sentenced to three years of community control on charge of felony and misdemeanor counts of drug possession. He must also serve 180 days on either electronically monitored house arrest or in jail as part of his sentence, but must move back to Van Wert County to be eligible for house arrest. His driver’s license was also suspended for six months.