Middletown man accused on 20 counts of possessing child porn

A Middletown man was arraigned on Monday morning on nearly two dozen counts of possessing pornography that involved a minor.

Jonathan Rothwell Jr., 37, of Middletown was arrested on Friday and arraigned Monday in Butler County Common Pleas Court on 20 counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, all of which are fourth-degree felonies and have a prison term of up to 18 months.

All of the charges are related to an offense that occurred on Jan. 22, according to court records.

Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser said the charges only surround possession.

“There’s no indication in this case that he manufactured (any of the images),” he said. “There were a lot of images, obviously.”

Butler County Judge Michael Oster set a 10% bond at $30,000. If he is released on bond, Rothwell would be required to wear a GPS monitor and attend weekly pretrials. He has asked for a public defender.

His next appearance in court has not been set, according to the county clerks office.

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About the Author

Michael D. Pitman

Michael D. Pitman has been a reporter in southwest Ohio since 1999. He's covered local governments in Warren and Butler counties, as well as state and national issues. He currently covers the cities of Fairfield and Hamilton.