Henry Stanforth

By Kelly Cantwell
Editor

 

Henry Stanforth, 63 of Amelia, was given the maximum sentence on July 6 after being found guilty for one count of importuning and two counts of gross sexual imposition.

Stanforth was found guilty in May by a jury. All the felonies are third degree felonies.

The charges are a result of interactions between Stanforth and two children that used to spend time with him and his wife. The two, who are sisters that were 7 and 8 years old at the time, would regularly go over to Stanforth’s house to camp, boat, ride four wheelers and more, said Clermont County Sheriff’s Office investigator Lori Saylor.

During the summer of 2014, the girls started going one at a time. During their visits Stanforth would touch their genitalia on the outside of their clothes and would ask them to touch his genitalia. This went on during the summer and fall of 2014.

One of the sisters reported the incident to her mother on Jan. 9, 2015. Upon questioning her other daughter, the mother discovered that this had happened to both her daughters, and she filed a report, Saylor said.

Stanforth was indicted on March 26, 2015. He pleaded not guilty on March 27, 2015. The trial lasted from May 23 to May 27.

During the trial, the prosecution presented testimony from the two victims and child abuse social workers with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, according to a press release.

Judge Richard Ferenc sentenced Stanforth to 13 years.

“That was the maximum sentence so I was happy with that,” Saylor said.

Stanforth was previously convicted of two counts of gross sexual imposition, which he was indicted for on Dec. 27, 2000. He was sentenced on July 18, 2001 to two years to be served consecutively and he had to pay restitution.

In that case, there were six victims, some of which were related to Stanforth. When he was sentenced the judge found him to be a sexual predator, which means Stanforth had to register for life, said Assistant Prosecutor Scott O’Reilly.

“I am pleased that he’s going to spend the next 13 years in prison. I wish it could be longer,” O’Reilly said.

He added that Stanforth is not someone who likely can be helped by treatment, and he believes that if Stanforth has the opportunity, he will commit an offense again.

Information on registered sex offenders in the area can be found at www.clermontsheriff.org/SexOffenders.aspx.