An Ohio inmate serving an 11-year prison sentence for the rape of a 12-year-old child is scheduled to be released from prison this week, according to records from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
Patrick R. Estep, 43, is currently incarcerated at the Lebanon Correctional Institution after being sentenced in Seneca County Common Pleas Court in 2015.
Court records show Estep pleaded guilty to a first-degree felony count of rape stemming from an incident involving a 12-year-old victim. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison by Judge Steve Shuff on November 4, 2015.
According to reporting at the time, prosecutors agreed to the plea arrangement in part to spare the child victim from having to testify at trial. Seneca County Prosecutor Derek DeVine stated that the resolution provided justice while protecting the victim from further trauma.
In addition to the prison sentence, Estep was classified as a Tier III sex offender, Ohio’s most serious sex offender classification, requiring lifetime registration and community notification requirements.
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction records show Estep’s expected release date and parole eligibility date is June 6, 2026. Upon release, records indicate he will be placed under five years of post-release supervision through Adult Parole Authority supervision in Richland County.
Estep was admitted into state custody on November 4, 2015, and received jail-time credit for time served prior to sentencing.
As of Wednesday morning, ODRC records continue to list Estep as incarcerated at Lebanon Correctional Institution, with his release scheduled for June 6.
All individuals who have completed their court-imposed prison sentences remain subject to the conditions of supervision imposed by the Ohio Adult Parole Authority and any sex offender registration requirements ordered by the court.
