Apr. 29—The attorney for a Middletown man accused of 20 counts of possessing pornography that involved a minor wants her client to be evaluated for competency, according to court records.
Jonathan Rothwell Jr., 37, of Middletown was arrested on March 14 and faces charges on 20 counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor in Butler County Common Pleas Court. All charges are fourth-degree felonies, each with a prison term of up to 18 months.
All the charges are related to an offense on Jan. 22, according to court records.
Attorney Kara Blackney’s motion states that her client “is not guilty of the offense charged against by reason of insanity.” She also filed a motion for a competency hearing.
“Counsel has reason to believe that Mr. Rothwell may have a mental disease or defect that makes him unable to understand the wrongfulness of his acts at the time of his offense,” according to Blackney’s motion.
Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser said the charges only surround possession, adding there were no indications he manufactured any of the images.
Rothwell remains in the Butler County Jail on a 10% bond at $30,000. His next appearance in court has not been set, according to the county clerk’s office.