A county Common Pleas Court jury on Thursday, Dec. 8, found a Butler man guilty of all charges he faced for having sex with a 15-year-old girl in front of other people during a party last year.

The jury of six men and six women found James Howard-George, 29, guilty of felony charges of statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse with a person under 16 years old and corruption of minors, and a misdemeanor charge of indecent assault of person under 16 years old.

Judge Timothy McCune scheduled sentencing for Jan. 11. He also changed Howard-George’s bond from nonmonetary to $100,000. He is also being held in Butler County Prison on $50,000 bond in another case.

The trial started Wednesday afternoon with testimony from two other 15-year-olds who attended the May 7, 2021 party in a North Washington Street apartment where the incident occurred.

A video recording of the sexual acts taken from one of the witnesses’ Snapchat accounts was played for the jury Wednesday.

The victim’s mother testified that she learned after the incident that her daughter told Howard-George that she was 18 years old. Under state law, a person can’t consent to sex until the age of 16.

The trial resumed Thursday when the teen, who is now 17 years old, testified as a defense witness that she told Howard-George that she was 18 when she met him for the first time a month or two before the party.

“I told him I was 18,” she said.

She said she told him that so that she could party with him, and she said she told police she trusted him.

Before her brief testimony, Assistant District Attorney Laura Pitchford wrapped up her prosecution by having Butler City police detective Chad Rensel testify about a videotaped interview he and detective Eric Klopfer conducted with Howard-George. The interview lasted about an hour and 25 minutes and was played in segments for the jury.

In the interview, Rensel tells Howard-George that the teen and others who attended the party reported that he had sex with her during the party, and that the sex acts were recorded on video.

Rensel asked him if he remembered having sex with the 15-year-old girl at the party.

Howard-George initially denied having sex with the girl, then repeatedly said he didn't remember whether or not he slept with her. He said he was intoxicated when he arrived at the party and consumed alcohol and pills after he arrived. He said he passed out shortly after arriving at the party.

Howard-George said he heard a rumor that he had slept with the girl and that a video of the encounter had been made. He said he asked her about the rumored sex, and she denied that it happened.

“I simply don't remember having sex with (the 15-year-old). Period,” Howard-George said during the interview.

After the video of the interview ended, Rensel testified that Howard-George told him that he didn't know how old the teen was, and he did not say that she told him that she was 18 years old.

During cross examination, Rensel said police did not have a copy of the video taken at the party when they interviewed Howard-George, and could not confirm that anyone received a copy of the video.

During closing arguments, public defender Jennifer Popovich told the jury that the girl was less than two months shy of her 16th birthday when the incident occurred.

She noted that the prosecution didn't call the teen girl as a witness, and that she was “at an adult party acting in an adult manner.” She said the teen drank alcohol, smoked marijuana and was sexually promiscuous at the party.

She argued that it was reasonable for Howard-George to believe she was old enough to consent to sex, and there is no evidence that he knew she was 15 years old.

Pitchford countered, saying she didn't call the teen as a witness because testifying before a jury would have been difficult for her.

She said it is irrelevant under the law that the incident occurred two months before the girl turned 16.

She pointed out that during the interview with police, Howard-George said he didn't know how old she was, but he didn't say he believed she was old enough to consent to sex.

“He's a 27-year-old man hanging out with children,” Pitchford said.

The second oldest person at the party was 20 years old, she said.

“Kids make bad choices. Adults are held to a higher standard,” Pitchford said.

She said a juvenile made bad choices and was taken advantage of by an adult.

Pitchford and Popovich declined to comment on the trial and verdict Thursday.