PORTAGE COUNTY, Ohio — A Portage County corrections officer was terminated from his position on Thursday following a guilty plea to a telecommunication harassment charge earlier this month, according to authorities.
Austin Wilson was originally arrested in February and placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation. The law enforcement inquiry focused on the transmission of explicit photographs. Following his initial arrest, Wilson was booked into the Portage County jail. He was later relocated to the Trumbull County Jail due to safety protocols aimed at preventing any potential contact between Wilson and the victim.
The initial charges facing Wilson, which included extortion and telephone harassment, were subsequently reduced to a single count of telecommunication harassment. The remaining charge is classified as a first-degree misdemeanor. Wilson is scheduled to receive his sentence on June 16.
Portage County Sheriff Bruce D. Zuchowski stated that he maintains the highest professional standards for all personnel within the agency. The sheriff noted that employment with the department does not protect any individual from accountability or the legal ramifications of their behavior.
While the agency officially fired Wilson on Thursday, school or labor representatives indicated that remaining union procedures could still be utilized to appeal the termination decision.
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