TIFFIN – A Mansfield businessman this month entered a written, negotiated plea of guilty to two counts: compelling prostitution (a felony of the third degree) and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles (a felony of the fifth degree) in Seneca County Common Pleas Court, court records showed.
Shane Allyne, 43, was arrested Dec. 21, 2023 by Tiffin Police Department detectives for allegedly traveling from Nashville, Tennessee to Tiffin to engage in sexual conduct with a minor female, the News Journal reported Jan. 3.
More: Mansfield man arrested in Tiffin for attempted sexual conduct with minor, police say
Allyne is a former owner of the Barrington One building at 13 Park Avenue West in downtown Mansfield and operates Simplified Living, dba Heartland Construction, from the Barrington One building.
On Dec. 3, the court made a finding of guilty to the charges of compelling prostitution and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, court records said. A pre-sentence investigation report was ordered. No date has yet been set for sentencing, a Seneca County clerk of courts employee said Tuesday afternoon.
Last week, Allyne was represented by attorney Samuel H. Shamansky for the plea hearing. The state of Ohio was represented by Angela M. Boes, Seneca County assistant prosecuting attorney.
On Dec. 3, Allyne withdrew an earlier not-guilty plea to compelling prostitution, which carries a maximum penalty of 36 months in prison. He also withdrew a former not-guilty plea before entering a guilty plea to disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, which carries a maximum prison term of 12 months, during which he is eligible for judicial release, the court said.
“The defendant will enter a plea of guilty to the charges as states in Counts One and Two of the indictment with the understanding that the parties have no agreed sentence recommendation and will argue the appropriate punishment at the time of sentencing,” the sentence recommendation noted, which Allyne signed. “The State of Ohio will recommend to the court that the defendant be sentenced to serve thirty-six (36) months at a state penal institution for Count One and stated prison term of (12) months for Count Two to be served concurrently to each other for a total stated prison term of 36 months.”
The state of Ohio will not oppose a timely filed motion for judicial release. Allyne will be classified as a Tier II sex offender.
Allyne offered to pay up to $1,000 if juvenile engaged in sexual conduct with him at a hotel, Tiffin police say
In December 2023, a mother contacted Tiffin police after learning her daughter was being paid by a man to send him nude images of herself, according to a news release from Tiffin Police Chief David Pauly.
The man making the requests was identified as Allyne, who was a family acquaintance, police said. A Tiffin detective’s investigation confirmed the juvenile had been paid by Allyne for nude images and he offered her more money if the juvenile engaged in sexual conduct with him.
Additionally, the investigation revealed Allyne sent explicit photos and videos of himself to the girl and continued to direct her to send him explicit images.
On Dec. 21, Allyne traveled from Nashville to the Columbus area where he was to attend a holiday party for his business. From Columbus, he traveled to Tiffin by car. Allyne made it clear he would pay up to $1,000 to the juvenile if she met with him and engaged in sexual conduct at a hotel, police noted.
With the assistance of Homeland Security agents from Nashville and Columbus, as well as help from Toledo Homeland Security Investigations, the Sandusky County Drug Task Force and the Seneca County Drug Task Force, Allyne was tracked and tailed from the Nashville airport and the Columbus airport to a lodging establishment in Tiffin, police said.
Allyne checked into the Tiffin lodging establishment, and was arrested upon exiting the establishment, then transported to the Seneca County Jail, according to the release.
Allyne had faced charges of compelling prostitution, attempted pandering obscenity involving a minor, disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, as well as additional charges, the News Journal earlier reported.
The court record from this month said the state of Ohio will move to dismiss counts three and four at the time of sentencing.
Shane Allyne served prison sentence in 2004
According to Richland County Common Pleas Court records, Allyne, then known as Shane Allyne Riggenbach (before changing his name), was convicted in 2004 of aggravated arson and spent about eight years in prison. The sentence was ordered by now-retired Judge James DeWeese.
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Man traveled to Tiffin to engage in sexual conduct with minor