Child Grooming Defense Attorney in Cincinnati, OH

Experienced Legal Defense for Grooming Charges

In April 2025, Ohio enacted a new criminal offense that targets grooming behavior under Ohio Revised Code Section 2907.071. This complex law makes it a crime for adults to engage in a pattern of conduct designed to entice or prepare minors for sexual activity. If you're being investigated or have been charged with grooming under this new statute, you need experienced legal counsel immediately.

At Bleile & Dawson, our Cincinnati criminal defense attorneys have over 50 years of combined experience defending clients against sex crime allegations throughout Ohio and Northern Kentucky. We understand the serious nature of grooming charges and provide aggressive, strategic defense from the moment you contact us.

Take the first step toward protecting your future by contacting us online or calling (513) 399-5945 for a free, confidential consultation.

What Is Child Grooming Under Ohio Law?

Ohio's grooming statute criminalizes specific behaviors by adults (age 18 or older) directed toward minors. The law prohibits knowingly contacting a minor under 16 years of age with the intent to entice, coerce, solicit, or prepare that minor to engage in sexual conduct. This includes establishing patterns of communication or behavior designed to build trust or break down resistance.

The law recognizes two distinct violations:

• Communication-Based Grooming – Knowingly contacting a minor under 16 to entice or prepare them for sexual activity.
• Relationship-Based Grooming – Developing an intimate or secretive relationship with a minor with the same intent, particularly when the offender holds a position of authority or special trust.

Penalties for Grooming Convictions in Ohio

Ohio's grooming law carries penalties that escalate based on several factors, including the victim's age, whether alcohol or drugs were involved, and the defendant's criminal history.

• Basic Offense – A second-degree misdemeanor for communication-based violations under standard circumstances.
• Elevated Charges – The charge becomes a fifth-degree felony if the victim is under 13 or if the offender supplied alcohol or drugs to the victim.
• Enhanced Felonies – Prior convictions for grooming or other sex offenses can elevate charges to fourth-degree or even third-degree felonies, carrying significant prison time.

Relationship-based violations generally carry more severe penalties, starting at a first-degree misdemeanor and escalating to felonies under similar aggravating circumstances.

Why You Need a Criminal Defense Attorney

Grooming charges are highly subjective and rely heavily on interpretation of intent and behavior patterns. Prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you engaged in specific conduct with a specific intent. 

These cases often involve:

• Analysis of electronic communications and social media
• Witness testimony about behavioral patterns
• Expert testimony regarding intent and grooming behavior
• Complex evidentiary issues

Even a misdemeanor grooming conviction can devastate your reputation, employment prospects, and personal relationships. While Ohio's current grooming statute does not automatically trigger sex offender registration, the law could be amended at any time to include this requirement.