Toledo man sentenced for attempted child sex crimes

PORT CLINTON — A Toledo man was recently sentenced to more than a decade in prison after previously pleading guilty to attempting to solicit sex and nude images from a child. At a court hearing on Aug. 28, Gerald R. Theis, 62, was convicted on the following charges: • Two counts of attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, each a fourth-degree felony • Two counts of attempted illegal use of a minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance, each a third-degree felony • One count of importuning, a fourth-degree felony • One count of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, a fifth-degree felony Theis pleaded guilty to the six charges on May 12 in exchange for: • One additional count of both importuning and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles • One count of compelling prostitution and attempted compelling prostitution to be dismissed. Ottawa County Common Pleas Court Judge Bruce Winters sentenced Theis to 13.5 years. Theis additionally received a credit for approximately seven months served in jail and will be placed on a mandatory term of five years post-release control, according to court records. Under the terms of his sentencing, Theis is classified as a Tier 2 sex offender, which means that he must provide verification of his home address to the local sheriff approximately every six months for a period of 25 years. Background On Feb. 2, 2025, Clay Township police started an investigation into a potential child exploitation incident that happened within their jurisdiction involving an adult man, later identified as Theis, who attempted to solicit sex and nude images from a 14-year-old boy, according to a press release from the Ottawa County prosecutor's office. Due to the incident, Clay Township police requested assistance from the prosecutor's office's Major Crimes Unit in the investigation. An investigator with the Major Crimes Unit posing as another 14-year-old boy began chatting with Theis over text, the release states. Theis attempted to solicit sex and nude images as well and arranged to meet with the investigator under the premise of meeting for sex. On Feb. 4, Theis drove from his home in Toledo to Genoa to meet with the boy. Shortly after arriving, Theis was arrested, transported to the Ottawa County Detention Facility and booked on one count of importuning, the release states. Law enforcement also uncovered that Theis had previously served a federal prison sentence of 46 months in 2006 for possession of child pornography, the release states.