Mercer County Man Sentenced to 3 Years of Community Control in Sex Offender Reporting Case

A Mercer County man has been sentenced to 3 years of community control sanctions after pleading guilty to 2 felony charges involving Ohio’s sex offender registration law.

David W. Ebright was sentenced in Mercer County Common Pleas Court after entering guilty pleas to failure to provide notice of change of address and failure to provide notice of change in vehicle information or identifiers, both 3rd degree felonies.

According to court records, the charges stemmed from allegations that Ebright failed to notify authorities of a change of address between Sept. 14, 2025, and Nov. 13, 2025, and failed to report a change in vehicle information between Sept. 26, 2025, and Nov. 13, 2025.

The reporting requirements were tied to a prior Mercer County conviction. Court documents say the underlying offense requiring registration was a Jan. 20, 2021, sexual battery conviction in Mercer County Common Pleas Court.

Ebright had pleaded guilty to the 2 counts as charged under a negotiated plea agreement filed Feb. 25. A defense sentencing memorandum later argued for community control rather than prison, saying the violations involved delayed reporting rather than concealment or new criminal conduct, and stating that Ebright later disclosed the information during registration and accepted responsibility.

The defense filing also said Ebright had family support, stable housing, and no substance abuse issues, while also pointing to personal instability during the time of the offenses, including job and vehicle loss.

Instead of prison, the court sentenced Ebright to 3 years of community control sanctions.