Convicted child molester wins appeal

FREMONT — A previously convicted child rape suspect has successfully appealed his 2024 rape conviction in Sandusky County. And he's now eligible for a new trial after citing a conflict of interest involving the judge and lead detective on his case. Leroy A. Stratton Jr., 44, a former inmate at the North Central Correctional Institution in Marion, Ohio, was indicted by a Sandusky County grand jury in July 2023 on one count of rape, a first-degree felony, for raping a then-18-month-old child, according to court records. Stratton was later found guilty by a jury on the single charge of rape. On March 12, 2024, Sandusky County Common Pleas Court Judge Jon Ickes sentenced Stratton to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole. After he won an appeal, with appellate judges agreeing that Stratton's due process rights were violated, Stratton's case was forwarded to the docket of Sandusky County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeremiah Ray. Stratton has an upcoming pre-trial hearing scheduled for 1 p.m. on July 16, according to court records. A conflict of interest Shortly after Stratton's sentencing, he filed his appeal with the state's Sixth District Court of Appeals, arguing that his case was not properly ruled on due to a conflict of interest. Law enforcement first learned of the allegations against Stratton when the FBI reportedly found a video of the abuse being livestreamed on the dark web. Due to this information, the FBI handed over the investigation to Fremont police for further inquiry. The lead detective on the case, Christian Ortolani, testified at trial as a prosecution witness. Stratton reportedly discovered, before his trial, that Ortolani was Ickes' stepson, according to court documents. About a week prior to his trial, Stratton appeared before Ickes, indicating he was ready to accept a plea deal. However, since Stratton had some concerns about his possible sentence, Ickes postponed the plea hearing to the next day. The following day, Stratton appeared for his plea hearing but chose not to enter a plea. Stratton was reportedly afraid that "he would not get a fair decision" because Ortolani was Ickes' stepson, court records state. Ickes reportedly inquired about the issue and why Stratton had finally brought it up, despite Ortolani having been disclosed as a witness in the case six months earlier, a court document states. Stratton requested that Ickes be removed from his case. But Ickes argued that despite Ortolani being his stepson and a "material witness" in the case, he believed that it wasn't enough to recuse himself. Despite Ickes' failure to recuse himself from the case, Stratton reportedly had the opportunity to file an "affidavit of disqualification" with the Ohio Supreme Court to request his removal, but he failed to do so. Stratton, in his appeal, also referred to another Sandusky County case, State v. Elkins. In that case, defendant Curtis L. Elkins, 45, of Fremont, was tried and convicted on a felonious assault charge in Ickes court, in a case where Ortolani was also the lead detective. After sentencing, Elkins learned of the familial relationship and asked Ickes to recuse himself, and he did. Elkins, late last year, appealed his conviction in the Sixth District, and also won, having his sentence overturned. Appellate court judges Christine Mayle, Gene Zmuda and Charles Sulek wrote that Ickes' participation in Stratton's case "presented an unconstitutional potential for bias." "We see no reason that Judge Ickes would have recused himself in Elkins's case, but not in Stratton's," the judges wrote. Misconduct alleged Stratton's case was involved in a recent investigation into allegations of judicial misconduct by Ickes. In October 2024, the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct, a branch of the Ohio Supreme Court that handles complaints against lawyers and judges, launched an investigation into alleged misconduct involving Ickes. The disciplinary council cited Ickes for the following violations: • Count 1: Harassment of a pregnant employee • Count 2: Fostering an inappropriate and unprofessional work environment • Count 3: Use of a racial slur • Count 4: Lewd and vulgar characterizations of a child-rape case • Count 5: Failure to disqualify • Count 6: Conduct that adversely reflects on the fitness to practice law Ickes' overall conduct during Stratton's trial is the basis for count four, where he reportedly, along with other courthouse employees to have exchanged inappropriate messages during Stratton's trial. Ickes, along with courthouse bailiff Candice Talbot, reportedly often referred to Stratton's case as the "baby (expletive)-sucking case." As of May 30, disciplinary proceedings have concluded in Ickes' case, with the board dismissing certain rule violations against the judge in counts 3-6. Though it remains unclear what potential consequences Ickes could face if the board determines he is in violation of any other rules, but the board will make a recommendation on potential punishment to the supreme court for an "appropriate sanction," according to the board's website. As of Wednesday afternoon, there was no document stating if the board had reached a final determination on whether or not Ickes would face any sanction. Prior convictions Stratton's current Sandusky County case isn't the first time that he's been charged with committing sex crimes against children. Stratton has a case that dates back to December 2001 in Sandusky County where he was indicted on a single count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a fourth-degree felony. He would later enter into a plea deal by entering a plea of guilty to a lesser count of attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a fifth-degree felony, according to court records. On June 12, 2002, Ray sentenced Stratton to serve three months in the Sandusky County Jail and five years of probation. Stratton additionally has a criminal conviction out of St. Joseph, Indiana, for child molesting, a class C felony, according to Indiana court records. On April 13, 2011, an Indiana judge sentenced Stratton to serve four years in prison. It was unclear where he was incarcerated or if he had to serve the entirety of that term. Stratton is also listed as a sex offender on Florida's Sexual Offender and Predator Registry database.