Former Ohio Mayor demanded jury trial after being charged for allegedly sniffing teen’s underwear – he just changed his mind

The trial of former Ohio Mayor Wesley Dingus has taken a notable turn as he requests to move away from a jury trial. Initially scheduled to appear before a jury on Wednesday morning, the former mayor instead had his attorney request a bench trial, meaning a judge will now determine the outcome of his voyeurism case. Per Cleveland 19, this, in turn, prompted Judge Michael Kemerer to recuse himself from the case that had been assigned to him since February.

The charges against 48-year-old Dingus stem from a series of incidents reported earlier this year. According to an incident report from the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, per The Guardian, the investigation began after a teen girl staying at the residence set up a concealed camera in her bedroom. The victim reportedly became suspicious that Dingus was entering her room. On January 13, she received motion alerts on her phone while she was at school.

The footage allegedly captured Dingus entering the room, picking up the girl’s underwear, and smelling it. The outlet further reported that on January 14, at 7:17 AM, the camera recorded Dingus entering the room again to smell her worn underwear and touching his groin area over his clothing. The Guardian reported that deputies say the footage showed Dingus smelling at least four pairs of her underwear “for several seconds.”

A shifting legal strategy

The Guardian noted that the Richland County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation. Then, in consultation with the Mansfield City Law Director’s office, two summonses for voyeurism were issued to Dingus in February. 

He pleaded not guilty to the two misdemeanor counts on February 19. Under Ohio Revised Code 2907.08, the law reportedly states, “No person, for the purpose of sexually arousing or gratifying the person’s self, shall commit trespass or otherwise surreptitiously invade the privacy of another, to spy or eavesdrop upon another.”

Per the outlet, Dingus was released after posting 10 percent of a $10,000 bond. As part of his release conditions, he was ordered to have no contact with the victim. He was also required to wear an electronic monitoring device. 

Following the charges, Dingus resigned from his position as the mayor of Butler on February 23. In a note, he stated he was stepping down “not under stress but under duress.” Interestingly, he isn’t the only other Mayor who had to step down recently with criminal charges. The Mayor of Arcadia, California, stepped down after pleading guilty to being a Chinese agent.

According to court records seen by PEOPLE, Dingus originally demanded his case be reviewed by a jury. The Richland Source reported that with the switch to a bench trial, the judge made this decision after both the defense and the prosecution filed a joint motion requesting a visiting judge. 

The move was reportedly intended to avoid any potential appearance of a conflict of interest. Especially since Dingus previously served as an elected official affiliated with the same political party as Kemerer. The Richland Source reported that when Kemerer explained his decision, he pointed to the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct. Rule 2.11 specifically requires a judge to disqualify themselves if their impartiality could be questioned. 

“While I do not personally feel I’m conflicted in this matter, it being a joint motion from both the defense and the prosecutor, I believe, Rule 2.11 is very clear,” Kemerer stated. He added, “It is not a may; it is a shall. So I shall recuse myself from this matter.”

The outlet noted that the Ohio Supreme Court is now tasked with assigning a new judge to preside over the proceedings. Once that assignment is finalized, the involved parties will work to set a new date for the bench trial. 

Robert J. Sharp III, the first assistant law director, noted to Richland Source that the decision to move to a bench trial is typically a matter of legal strategy. “People charged with crimes have the right to a jury trial. They also have the right to a bench trial,” Sharp said. “How and why those rights are exercised are usually trial strategy exercised by attorneys.”

This voyeurism case is not the only legal challenge Dingus faces. As reported by Richland Source, he is also facing criminal charges in Richland County Court. In July 2025, he allegedly struck a man with his car who was fleeing from police. He has pleaded not guilty in that matter, and a jury trial is currently set for November. Additionally, he is facing a federal civil rights suit related to the same car incident.

Per the outlets, Dingus originally became mayor in 2022 after the resignation of the previous mayor, Joseph Stallard. He later won a full term in office, receiving 199 votes in the village.