Wesley Dingus

Introduction

Wesley Dingus, the 49-year-old former mayor of the Ohio village of Butler, was found guilty of disorderly conduct after he was caught on video sniffing the underwear of a minor who had been in his care — a resolution that replaced felony-level voyeurism charges with two misdemeanour counts and spared him sex-offender registration . Dingus, who resigned from the mayor’s office a week after the voyeurism charges were filed in February 2026, pleaded guilty in Mansfield Municipal Court on 13 November 2026 and received one year of supervision with a suspended 30-day jail sentence . The victim, who addressed the court alongside him, told the judge the episode had destroyed a year of her life and forced her to leave the community she grew up in .

Background Information

Dingus was appointed mayor of Butler — a small Richland County village — in 2022 and won election to retain the seat the following year . His conduct surfaced through an investigation by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, which led to two misdemeanour voyeurism charges in February 2026; a voyeurism conviction would have required him to register as a sex offender . Dingus waived his right to a trial by jury, setting up a bench trial before Visiting Judge James Kimbler, a retired Medina County judge assigned after both local municipal court judges recused themselves — with attorneys on both sides having requested a visiting judge in July, citing that Dingus had served as an elected official affiliated with the same political party as the judge initially assigned to the case .

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Convicted of reduced charges: two counts of disorderly conduct after original voyeurism charges were dropped in a negotiated plea.

In court on 13 November, the state submitted amended charges — two counts of disorderly conduct, both fourth-degree misdemeanours — in lieu of the scheduled bench trial, and Dingus pleaded guilty . Prosecuting attorney Robert Sharp III of the Mansfield Law Director’s Office said a trial would have hinged on whether the conduct met the legal definition of voyeurism, noting the victim was not present when the alleged conduct occurred, and that “we thought this was a good resolution” reached with the victim’s “full blessing and consent” . Judge Kimbler waived a pre-sentence investigation and imposed one year of supervision with a 30-day jail sentence suspended — meaning Dingus avoids jail if he complies with probation — along with a no-contact order with the victim, court fees and a condition that he complete a treatment program for people who commit similar offences .

Public Reaction and Consequences

Both Dingus and the victim spoke in court. The victim said that before the incident Dingus was someone she believed was supposed to protect her and her siblings, and that seeing what he did left her “disgusted, shocked, hurt, humiliated, violated, and vulnerable” . She told the court his actions had destroyed the last year of her life, torn her family apart, and prompted her to move out of Butler — noting it had been 304 days since the first video of Dingus’ conduct was captured . Dingus apologised to the victim, his family and the court, saying “This will never happen again” and that he would “lead a productive life, hopefully like I was before, and be a law-abiding citizen” . Kimbler kept his own remarks brief, telling the courtroom there was nothing he could say that would be better than what the victim had said . Defence attorney James Mayer III said the guilty pleas reflected acceptance of responsibility and that his client “is remorseful for his conduct” .

Current Status

Dingus is out of custody under one year of probation supervision, barred from contacting the victim, and must complete an offence-specific program as a condition of probation; the voyeurism charges — and the sex-offender registration a conviction would have carried — are gone as part of the plea . He remains out of public office after resigning the Butler mayoralty in February 2026, a week after the charges were filed . No appeal was reported in the sentencing coverage .

Impact on Their Career/Life

Dingus’ political career — appointed mayor in 2022, elected in 2023 — is over, ended first by his resignation and now by a criminal conviction on his record, albeit on reduced misdemeanour counts rather than the voyeurism charges that would have made him a registered sex offender . The case drew regional attention as an elected-official misconduct story, with the recusal of both local judges and the appointment of a visiting judge underscoring how politically entangled the small-village prosecution had become . For the victim, the resolution came with the prosecutor’s assurance that she consented to and blessed the plea deal, closing the case 304 days after the video surfaced .

Sources

• “Former Butler mayor Wesley Dingus found guilty of disorderly conduct in case involving minor” — Richland Source, November 2026: source