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LISBON -- A Negley man accused of taking nude photographs of minors avoided a jury trial Tuesday by agreeing to a plea deal which could land him in prison for 10 years.
Matthew Severs, 40, Taylor Road, pleaded guilty in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to seven counts of illegal use of a minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance, a second-degree felony. He was accompanied by his attorney, James Wise, along with a family member, and remains out of jail on bond.
County Assistant Prosecutor Steve Yacovone said there had been ongoing negotiations to resolve the case.
As part of the agreement, he said four counts of voyeurism, a fifth-degree felony, will be dismissed.
Sentencing was set for 11 a.m. Jan. 12.
Yacovone said he'll be recommending a total prison sentence of 10 years, with five years each for all seven counts, with the first two counts to be served consecutive to each other and then everything else concurrent, or at the same time. He'll also recommend Severs be designated a Tier II sex offender with a requirement to report the address of his residence to the sheriff's office of the county where he resides once he's out.
All the charges stemmed from a time frame of Jan. 1, 2019 to Nov. 14, 2021.
The illegal use of a minor charges alleged that Severs photographed minors in a state of nudity. The voyeurism charges had alleged that he invaded the privacy of a child to take pictures or video or other actions. The child was a teen.
Judge Megan Bickerton explained the possible penalties, with the charge of illegal use of a minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance, a second-degree felony, carrying a possible sentence of two to eight years. She also said that's an indefinite term, meaning half of the sentence will be added to the length of the term, referred to as the tail, which the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections can add to the sentence.
That means he could face a maximum sentence of eight to 12 years on each count and a $1,500 fine.
The plea was done before a full courtroom, with many supporters of the victim or victims present.