A man was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Chillicothe and booked into the Ross County Jail on felony charges of importuning a victim under the age of 13, according to public records from the Ross County Sheriff’s Office inmate search system.
James Mitchell Howard Jr. was taken into custody at 1:20 p.m. on June 24, 2026, by Chillicothe authorities. Jail records list Officer Shipley in connection with the arrest. Howard was booked under inmate number IN202601321 on two entries related to the offense: one classified as a third-degree felony charge and the other noted as a warrant. Bond was set at $75,000 cash or surety for each. He remains in custody at the Ross County Jail as of Thursday morning.
Under Ohio Revised Code section 2907.07, importuning includes soliciting a person less than 13 years of age to engage in sexual activity with the offender, whether or not the offender knows the person’s age. A first-offense violation of the relevant division is a felony of the third degree. Ohio law establishes a presumption that a prison term will be imposed, and additional factors such as arranging a meeting for sexual activity can trigger a mandatory prison term.
The Ross County case remains pending in local courts, with no disposition entered in the initial booking records. No additional public details regarding the circumstances of the alleged offense or any victim have been released by authorities at this time.
