Prison sentence for Dayton man in child sex, murder-for-hire plot

UPDATE @ 10:32 a.m. (Oct. 6)

John P. Friend has been sentenced to 31 years to life in prison for conspiracy to commit murder and raping a child under age 10.

Friend was originally indicted in October 2014 for rape of a child and gross sexual imposition. While he was in custody awaiting trial, Friend contacted who he believed to be a hitman to have the child victim and the child’s father killed, said Prosecutor Mat Heck.

That added a March 2015 indictment for conspiracy to commit murder.

“This defendant’s actions are simply horrendous,” Heck said in a release. “The defendant planned to have the victim and the witness to his earlier crimes killed, hoping the charges would be dismissed. He will now spend at least the next 31 years in the penitentiary.”

UPDATE @ 3:35 p.m. (Sept. 21)

John P. Friend, III, 41, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit murder, raping a child under age 10 and gross sexual imposition of a child under age 13, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.

While he was in jail awaiting trial on child sex charges he was indicted on in October 2014, Friend contacted a hit man about killing the child victim and the victim’s father, according to the prosecutor’s office.

He was indicted in March on charges of conspiracy to commit murder.

“This defendant’s actions are simply horrendous. The defendant planned to have the victim and the witness to his earlier crimes killed, hoping the charges would be dismissed,” Prosecutor Mat Heck said in a prepared statement.

Sentencing is set for Oct. 6. Friend faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

EARLIER

An alleged child rapist was indicted Wednesday on a murder-for-hire plot hatched from his Montgomery County Jail cell.

John P. Friend III told his cellmate his plan was to hire someone to kill the assistant prosecuting attorney, case detectives, the 8-year-old alleged victim and the alleged victim’s father, according to court documents.

Acting on information from a fellow inmate, detectives from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office enlisted an agent from Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation to pose as an acquaintance of the inmate, according to court documents.

Friend, 40, of Dayton, met with the BCI undercover agent three times, talked to the agent via telephone several times and solicited money for the completion of the contract killing — all of which were recorded, according to court documents.

Friend appeared Wednesday on four counts of conspiracy to commit murder — first-degree felonies punishable by up to 11 years in prison — and is being held on a $500,000 bond. Friend’s bond is $1 million in the 2014 case in which he faces charges of child rape, sexual imposition, child endangering and aggravated menacing.

“This defendant’s actions are an incredible assault on the criminal justice system,” Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. said. “This defendant planned to eliminate the victim and witness to his earlier crimes, apparently believing the State would have dismissed the charges against him. Now he faces additional, serious charges.”

The plot included detailed instructions such as a hand-drawn map of the target’s car and home with the residence number and neighborhood name, nearby streets and landmarks, according to court documents. The indictment said Friend also provided the agent with the 8-year-old’s school, grade, day care information and times the child would be home.

Friend’s indictment alleged that he made suggestions about the weapons or means to be used in committing the murders or covering up after the murders. He is alleged to have verbally advised his family not to visit him in an effort to allow further meetings with the agent and used another inmate’s “PIN” to make external phone calls.

A memorandum in support of a motion to use “other acts evidence” in the sex crimes case for “purposes of demonstrating consciousness of guilt” alleged that Friend wanted the killings to look like a robbery. Friend’s defense attorney, Aaron Durden, opposed the prosecutor’s motion. Durden on Wednesday did not return a message seeking comment.

The prosecution’s memo stated Friend wanted the bodies to be found by police because otherwise he would be stuck in jail until his trial date. “No face, no case” is how the memo quoted Friend’s comments. Friend allegedly negotiated the price of the murders and solicited family members to obtain the money.