Motorist found not guilty

Man accused of child endangering

By CHRISTOPHER BOBBY Tribune Chronicle
CORTLAND — A jury took less than an hour to find a Massillon man not guilty of three counts of child endangering and one count of public indecency.

Trumbull County Assistant Prosecutor Sean O’Brien tried to persuade a jury of five women and three men that while Michael R. Riley was driving three youngsters in foster care from the Akron area to Ashtabula last fall, he performed an indecent act on himself while driving along state Route 11.

The only witnesses defense attorney Todd Brainard called were Riley and Riley’s wife, Nancy, to substantiate his claim that his client used a bottle to urinate in since he has a medical condition.

An Akron truck driver, David Robinson, testified in the courtroom of Central District Judge Thomas Campbell that Riley passed him in the left lane and he had a quick view of Riley from his shoulders to his knees.

‘‘I’ve seen that kind of thing before while I was driving,’’ said Robinson, who called 911 to report it.

O’Brien said it’s believed all three children who were no older than 5 were wearing seat belts in the back seat and were unable to see Riley below his shoulders.

Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Sgt. Marvin Hill stopped Riley’s car after it crossed the Trumbull County line into Ashtabula County.

Originally, Riley faced felony sex-related charges, but a grand jury remanded the case as misdemeanor charges.

Riley was working for the Bair Foundation, a foster care organization that arranges for foster children to visit their biological parents. He was taking a brother and sister and another girl in his car from Minerva and New Waterford to Lake County Children Services.

Riley was fired after the accusation, Brainard said.

Some statements Riley made to Hill over the trooper’s dash-cam and after he requested an attorney were prohibited from being presented at Monday’s trial.



cbobby@tribune-chronicle.com