WEST CHESTER, Ohio — A West Chester man who held jobs as a social worker and youth counselor is facing 21 charges, including rape, following allegations that he groomed and abused multiple children, according to court documents.
Michael Lesko was indicted by a grand jury on seven counts of rape, six counts of gross sexual imposition and eight counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. He is accused of sexually abusing multiple male victims who were children when the abuse happened, officials said.
According to a spokesperson for West Chester Township, Lesko operated a privately-run counseling service out of his West Chester residence.
"Due to the grooming activity, ages of the victims and the trusted positions Lesko held, it is possible that there are other victims that have not been identified," wrote the spokesperson in an email. "The investigation reported that Lesko had been engaging in the abuse for the past 15 years."
Abuse cases tied to Lesko were also reported in Montgomery County, Warren County and Butler County, the spokesperson said. As of September 5, however, Lesko has not been charged in Warren or Montgomery counties for any recent offenses.
A warrant for Lesko's arrest was issued on September 4, after the indictment. Police said he was arrested in Georgia.
Police said anyone with additional information about Lesko, or anyone who may have been a victim of Lesko's alleged actions can contact 513-759-7270.
This is a developing story and WCPO reporters are actively working to uncover more information. We will update this story when more information is available.
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