CINCINNATI — A former Princeton Middle School security guard was sentenced to five years of probation after he was accused of inappropriately touching four boys between 2014 and 2017.
Lamont Baldwin was charged with 12 felony charges of gross sexual imposition after investigators said he touched middle school boys' buttocks and genitals. The Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office said students said Baldwin would play a game with them that "gave him access to touch them all over."
Baldwin was a security guard at the middle school for 23 years and spent a short time as a wrestling coach. He also worked at the Woodlawn Community Center for 19 years. He was fired from both jobs after the allegations were brought up in 2019.
Clyde Bennett, Baldwin's attorney, said a probation sentence may be shocking to some, but it is consistent with the law. He said Baldwin had no criminal record, registered as a sex offender, entered treatment and did community service.
"When you’re charged with sexual offense, (people think) you should go to prison," Bennett said. "That’s not what the law says. This is a sexual contact case, not a sexual conduct case. This isn’t rape. The allegation is that he touched the erogenous zones of teens."
Baldwin faced up to 50 years in convicted of all charges. Bennett said he could go to prison for 20 years if he violates probation in any way.
"He was apologetic, sorry to the victims in the case, apologized to the victims," Bennett said. "He entered himself into a treatment program. He’s paying for that."
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