BATAVIA, Ohio — A man will spend 20 years in prison after he agreed to plead guilty to charges of rape and pandering sexually oriented material, according to the Clermont County Prosecutor's Office.
James Russell Blair previously faced more than 40 charges, but Prosecutor Mark Tekulve said on Jan. 22 Blair instead agreed to plead guilty to two counts of rape and one count of pandering sexually oriented material.
According to Tekulve, Blair raped two young girls and used his cell phone to record the sexual assaults against one of those children.
Blair was indicted in June 2025 on a total of 44 charges, including:
- 16 counts of rape of a child (5 of which carry 25 years to life in prison)
- 10 counts of sexual battery
- 4 counts of pandering sexually-oriented matter involving a minor
- 5 counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material
- 4 counts of endangering children
- 2 counts of grooming
- 3 counts of corrupting another with drugs
If Blair was convicted on all the charges he'd faced, he could have faced a sentence of life in prison.
Last year, Tekulve said Blair began grooming the victim involved in the crimes when she was just 7 years old. When she turned 11, Blair began giving her alcohol and marijuana to comply with his orders to take nude photos and videos of herself, Tekulve said.
Blair's orders then escalated to demanding videos of sexual conduct, Tekulve said. Blair then began to engage in sexual acts with the child that he would record. This began when the child was 11, the prosecutor's office said.
The prosecutor's office did not say how Blair had access to the child or whether there is any relation between them.
"We are grateful these girls came forward and we were able to ensure this monster will be locked up for the next two decades where he will not be able to harm another child," Tekulve said in a press release.
After Blair serves his 20-year sentence in prison, the prosecutor's office said he will be released on parole for five years. He will also have to register as a sex offender every 90 days for the rest of his life, Tekulve's office said.
