LISBON – The prison sentence imposed in March 2015 against a former substitute teacher who solicited sex from a 14-year-old girl, among other charges, was finally carried out after his appeal was rejected recently.

Chad R. Grey, 29, of East Liverpool, has begun serving a nine-month prison sentence originally imposed 15 months ago by Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam after he pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from a 14-year-old girl, having nude photographs of the girl on his phone, and sending an 11-year-old girl photographs of his genitalia. He met the 11-year-old while he was substitute gym teacher in the Beaver Local school system.

Grey’s attorney immediately appealed the sentence to the Ohio 7th District Court of Appeals, which ordered a halt to its implementation pending the outcome of the appeal. On May 31, the appeals court upheld the sentence, saying Judge Washam “carefully considered many factors in sentencing (Grey) … There is no indication in the record that the evidence clearly and convincingly does not support the trial court’s findings under the applicable sentencing statutes.”

Washam received the appeals court ruling on June 6 and ordered Grey to report to the county jail by June 10 to begin serving his prison sentence. Meanwhile, his attorney filed a motion asking Washam to reconsider his decision pending another possible appeal, but he denied the request.

Washam noted that in addition to having the love and support of his family, Grey also earned a college degree in psychology and once held a teaching certificate. “However, those same considerations beg the troubling question of why, given these benefits and advantages, the defendant chose to repeatedly perpetrate such outrageous acts aimed at two separate children,” he said in his ruling.

tgiambroni@mojonews.com