Ex-Ohio school resource officer gets jail for sexual messages, photo sent to 17-year-old

EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio — A former Ohio school resource officer who sent sexual messages and a sexually graphic photo to a teenage student has been sentenced to jail.

Shawn Long, 51, of East Liverpool, was sentenced to 90 days in jail, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. This came after he pleaded guilty to disseminating matter harmful to juveniles in December.

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Evidence revealed that Long messaged a 17-year-old girl multiple times on Facebook in 2020, “sending her photos of his genitals and expressing his desire to have sex with her.” He was a school resource officer at the high school the teen attended.

Long was placed on administrative leave in April 2020 and he resigned a year later in March 2021.

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“A protector who morphs into a predator has no business being around young impressionable children,” Yost said. “This man dishonored the badge and forfeited the right to serve in such a position of authority.”

The sentence includes 90 days in jail with credit for one day served, two years of probation, restitution of $1,000 for the victim, and 250 hours of community service. The conviction also bars him from working as a police officer in Ohio.

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