Trending
LISBON -- Former East Liverpool police officer Shawn Long pleaded not guilty Friday during arraignment on a fifth-degree felony charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.
Long, 51, East Liverpool, appeared with his defense attorney, Chris Amato, before Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam for the brief hearing.
His $20,000 own recognizance bond was continued with no objection from Ohio Assistant Attorney General Kara Keating, who was appointed special prosecutor to handle the case.
She did, however, ask that the defendant be ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim as a condition of bond. Amato had no objection.
A status hearing is set for 10:30 a.m. Nov. 2.
Long resigned from the police department effective March 30, 2021 after being off the job for nearly a year. He had been placed on paid administrative leave in April 2020 and had been the school resource officer and under investigation for alleged inappropriate behavior, according to previous published news stories.
The secret indictment was issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury in February, but Long wasn't served until recently.
Arraignment is set for 10:15 a.m. Sept. 22 before county Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam. Chris Amato of Wellsville was listed as Long's defense attorney.
The charge dates back to March 16, 2020 and involved a child victim whose age at the time was 17 years old, according to the indictment. Long had been with the police department since March 1997.