SIDNEY — The police chief of Jackson Center maintained his innocence in Shelby County Common Pleas Court Thursday morning.
Joseph E. Cotterman, 35, of Jackson Center, entered a not-guilty plea to one count of gross sexual imposition, a felony of the fourth degree.
Cotterman was indicted on the charge last week by a Shelby County grand jury.
According to court records, he is accused of “on or about Jan. 27, 2016, … he, by force, had sexual contact with a 19-year-old female.”
According to a press release from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, on Jan. 27, 2016, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the mother of a 19-year-old female, stating that her daughter had been sexually assaulted by Cotterman. The incident was alleged to have occurred when Cotterman was on duty. Within 30 minutes of the incident the investigation was started, the victim was interviewed and sent to Wilson Health for an examination. Cotterman was asked to come to the Sheriff’s Office where he was interviewed later that evening. Cotterman denied all allegations and was released.
Evidence in the case was presented to the Ohio Bureau of Investigation and Identification lab, who examined all of the evidence presented, according to the press release.
Cotterman was placed on administrative leave on Feb. 5, following the filing of the original complaint against him.
At the Feb. 8, meeting of the Jackson Center Village Council the council voted to make Lt. Chief Chuck Wirick the interim chief. The council also voted to leave Cotterman’s pay intact as well as his K9 stipend until the first council meeting in March when they would revisit the issue.
Cotterman was arrested without incident last Thursday and briefly incarcerated in the Shelby County Jail 0n a $5,000 bond.
During his arraignment Thursday his bond was continued and a no-contact order with the victim in the case was ordered. Cotterman is being represented by Jeremy Tomb, of Klein, Tomb and Eberly, LLP, out of Troy.
No further events in his case have been scheduled at this time.
