Canal Fulton Man Indicted On Two Counts Of Inducing A Minor To Engage In Sexually Explicit Conduct

A Canal Fulton man was indicted on two counts of inducing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

William P. Lacey, aka “Ponch,” age 54, on two occasions in February 2013, did persuade, induce, entice and coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct, according to the indictment.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Linda Barr following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task for and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record (if any), his role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violations.  In all cases, the sentences will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases they will be less than the maximum.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.