$50k bond set for Austintown trustee accused of sexual relations with Poland student
YOUNGSTOWN - An Austintown trustee was in court Monday to answer felony sexual battery charges related to his time as a Poland school resource officer.
Steve Kent pleaded not guilty to 3 counts of sexual battery and 1 count of tampering with evidence. The charges were handed up last week by the Mahoning County Grand Jury.
Defense Attorney John Juhasz asked Common Pleas Judge Maureen Sweeney to set a bond for Kent and filed a motion to obtain more information about the case from the prosecutor's office.
Bond was set at $50,000 and Kent agreed to self-report to jail where he has since been booked and released.
Counts One, Two, and Three on the felony Sexual Battery charges allege that Kent, while employed in an authority role at the school, engaged in sexual contact with a person that was enrolled or attended the school, on three occasions, on or about April 29-30, 2021; May 20, 2021; and May 31-June 1, 2021.
Count four on Tampering with Evidence, the charge reads: "The defendant(s) unlawfully did, knowing that an official proceeding or investigation was in progress, or was about to be or likely to be instituted, alter, destroy, conceal, or remove any record, document, or thing, with purpose to impair its value or availability as evidence in such proceeding or investigation."
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has been the lead agency in the probe, along with a state special victims unit.
Kent was placed on unpaid administrative leave from the Poland Police Department in June of 2021 after allegations came to light involving an individual who works in the Poland Local School District, but is not employed through the district.
On March 2, Poland Township voted unanimously to discharge a school resource officer for “immoral conduct and malfeasance in accordance with Article 7 and Article 9 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Fraternal Order of Police and Poland Township.”
In Kent's Notice of Discharge letter from Poland Chief of Police Greg Wilson and Township Trustees Eric Ungaro, Joanne Wollet, and Edward Kempers state “... you are being discharged for illegal and immoral acts with an underaged student at a school where you acted as the School Resource Officer (“SRO”).” Kent's termination from the district was based on the union contract.
Kent allegedly committed the crimes while both on and off duty. He is not currently permitted in any of the city's school buildings.
