FAIRFIELD, Ohio — A Fairfield man has admitted to sexually assaulting children in two counties.
Zachary Clenney, 30, of the 2000 block of Casa Loma Drive, was indicted in August and again in September on 18 felony charges involving six minors, some under the age of 13 and some under 10 years of age, according to court documents.
The crimes are part of a “continuous course of action” beginning in Hamilton County and ending in Butler County, according to court documents. They happened from September 2007 to June of this year, according to court documents.
Clenney pleaded guilty on Thursday in Butler County Common Pleas Court. As part of an agreement, Clenney pleaded guilty to 11 felony charges: five counts of rape and six counts of gross sexual imposition. Butler County Assistant Prosecutor Kelly Heile said Clenney pleaded guilty to crimes he committed against each of the six victims.
The remainder of the charges were dismissed.
Judge Jennifer McElfresh sentenced Clenney to 40 years in prison without parole. He was designated a Tier III sexual offender, which requires him to register his residence with the sheriff every 90 days for the rest of his life. He was also sentenced to five years post-release control when released from prison.
“It is a terrible tragedy,” Heile said. “So many lives ruined.”
Before the sentencing, family members of the still young children under the age of 10 spoke. Two of the victims are now adults. One watched the sentencing via Zoom.
When asked about the length of the sentence, Heile said, “Is there ever enough time for a crime like this? But when we have young victims, to get that kind of time without having to put them through a trial, that is a benefit.”
