WORTHINGTON MAN INDICTED FOR SEX RELATED OFFENSES INVOLVING 4 PRE-TEEN CHILDREN

Posted on 8/25/2017

Defendant: Jonathan Eli Ringel

Prosecutor Ron O’Brien said, “This registered sex offender on parole has been trolling neighborhoods in our county for weeks and has been making sexual advances towards pre-teen girls.”  Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced today that the Franklin County Grand Jury has filed an indictment against Jonathan Eli Ringel, age 25, for one count of Importuning (F-2), two counts of Disseminating Matter Harmful to Juveniles (F-4), and two counts of Criminal Child Enticement (M-1), for a total of five counts.  The basis for the enhanced F-2 Importuning count is that Ringel has a prior conviction for various sexually oriented offenses involving children in 2015 from Rockingham County in the state of Virginia.  The indictment alleges that between July 22^nd and August 10^th, 2017 Ringel drove up to four young girls outside in their neighborhoods and made sexual comments to them.  Arraignment for Ringel is set for next Wednesday, August 30^th, at 1:30 pm in courtroom 2B at 345 S. High Street in downtown Columbus.