A former Warren man serving a prison sentence of more than two decades for crimes involving minors and animals has returned to the Trumbull County jail. Trent Addicott, 30, was booked into the local facility on Friday to face a new trial after an appeals court overturned a portion of his 2024 conviction.

A Trumbull County jury originally convicted Addicott in August 2024 on multiple felony charges, including pandering obscenity involving a minor and pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor. He was also convicted on five misdemeanor counts of sexual conduct with an animal. Following the trial, Judge Ronald Rice sentenced Addicott to an indefinite prison term of 24 to 28 years.

Addicott appealed the decision to the 11th District Court of Appeals. In a decision issued in May, the appellate judges upheld the convictions for pandering obscenity and the charges regarding sexual conduct with an animal. However, the court reversed the convictions for four counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor.

The reversal centered on how prosecutors introduced evidence during the first trial. The state presented "CyberTipline Reports" to link Addicott to specific internet activity. The appeals court ruled that the reports were hearsay because the state did not call a witness who was qualified to verify how the records were created.

The judges determined that allowing this evidence without the proper witness violated Addicott’s constitutional rights, ensuring that a defendant has the opportunity to face and question the witnesses presenting evidence against them. Because the convictions on those four specific counts relied heavily on the reports to prove Addicott was the person responsible, the court vacated those convictions.

The appellate court sent the case back to Trumbull County Common Pleas Court. The ruling requires that Addicott be resentenced on the charges that were upheld. Additionally, the state has the option to retry him on the four charges that were overturned.

A final pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Jan. 8, and a new jury trial is set to begin on Jan. 12, before Judge Rice.