Dr. finds child porn suspect 'competent to stand trial'

PORT CLINTON — An Oak Harbor man who allegedly possessed nude images of a teenage girl was recently deemed competent enough to stand trial by a doctor. Kevin L. Edwards Jr., 23, of the 9000 block of W. Duff-Washa Road, and his lawyer, Christopher Marcinko, filed a motion on June 6, requesting that Edwards undergo a competency evaluation due to observed "cognitive issues." "The defendant does not appear to understand the nature of the charges against him and has been severely impaired in making decisions with the advice of counsel," the motion states. On Nov. 21, the court reviewed the results of his evaluation, which was conducted on Nov. 16 by Dr. Daniel Marston at the Court Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Toledo. Marston said that based on his review of background material, including police reports, court filings and Edwards' evaluation itself. Marston determined that Edwards is "currently capable of understanding the nature and objectives of the proceedings against him and assisting counsel in his own defense." Edwards has since been released from jail on his own recognizance and has an upcoming court hearing for 11 a.m. on Jan. 15, according to court records. Background The investigation into Edwards first began on Oct. 8, 2024, when an agent from the Ottawa County prosecutor's office's major crimes unit spoke with a teenage girl who claimed that a man she was previously talking to was threatening to post explicit photos of her, according to a report from the prosecutor's office. The girl allegedly told investigators that Edwards was seeing another girl who said he still had her nude photos and threatened to post them online to "ruin her life," the report states. Shortly after speaking with the girl, law enforcement obtained a search warrant and responded to the address where Edwards worked to speak with him. An agent pulled Edwards aside and explained that they needed to speak with him and that he had a search warrant for his cellphone, the report states. The agent seized Edwards' cellphone and explained that he was free to leave and that he did not have to speak with him if he didn't want to. When the agent asked Edwards if he had any nude images of the teenage girl, he said "yes" and added that the girl sent them to him without him even asking. Edwards reportedly told the agent that the girl knew he saved her photos and was present when he did so, and that she was upset when he learned she was dating a 33-year-old man, the report states. When the agent asked if he threatened to send the girl's nude images, Edwards said he threatened to show her boyfriend because he "did not think the age difference was right." On Oct. 15, agents found at least seven nude images of the girl on Edwards' phone, along with a message exchange with her mother asking him to delete the photos since her daughter was under 18, the report states.