CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio — A Batavia Township man, who is a former daycare employee, has been sentenced to nine years in prison for sex crimes against children, according to Assistant Prosecutor Christina Dattilo.
Christopher Helmer will serve nine years in prison after he was convicted on three charges of gross sexual imposition and three charges of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person.
Helmer originally faced a total of 16 charges, including grooming, and he originally pleaded not guilty. He was only convicted on six of those 16 charges.
Clermont County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Tekulve previously said that the charges of gross sexual imposition and grooming involve the same child, but the pandering charges are unrelated.
Helmer was arrested in late March after he was seen kissing a 5-year-old on the lips at the Jelly Bean Junction daycare where he worked.
The Pierce Township Police Department said it received a report from staff at the Amelia day care after a staff member allegedly saw Helmer engaging in inappropriate conduct with a child.
Jelly Bean Junction immediately separated Helmer from the students, according to police. He was interviewed by management and fired.
The prosecutor reported that there is no evidence that Helmer had any inappropriate contact with other day care students.
Investigators arrived at Helmer's home, where he admitted to kissing and taking pictures of the child, according to Tekulve. The prosecutor also said that Helmer admitted to downloading and viewing images and videos depicting child sex abuse material.
Dattilo told the judge that Helmer admitted to being "infatuated" with the 5-year-old.
She said investigators searched his phone and found Helmer had "Google searched (the child's) address at least 27 times, and he then found out how long and how to get from his house to her house."
The prosecution said the state feared the defendant would "abduct" the child.
Following his conviction, Helmer will now serve out his sentence with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction.
