Ohio Corrections Officer Guilty Of Kidnapping, Sexual Battery

POMEROY, OH — Larry Tucker, a former Meigs County corrections officer was found guilty of sexual battery, kidnapping, theft in office and more this week. Tucker faces up to 100 years in prison.

Tucker was a corrections officer at the Middleport Jail and a Meigs County Common Pleas Court probation officer. He was accused of sexually assaulting, or attempting to assault, 12 different inmates and probationers between January 2011 and November 2017.

“This predator, masquerading as a jailer and a probation officer, should now find himself on the opposite side of iron bars,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said.

A jury found Tucker guilty on six counts of kidnapping, five counts of sexual battery, five counts of attempted sexual battery, four counts of gross sexual imposition, one count of soliciting, one count of attempting to compel prostitution and one count of theft in office.

There will be a pre-sentencing investigation, Yost's office said. The date of Tucker's sentencing has not yet been set. Ultimately, he could spend more than 100 years in prison.

Tucker will face further proceedings on sexually violent predator specifications. If Tucker is found guilty of those specifications, the court could add additional time to his sentence.