Butler Mayor’s Legal Troubles Continue as Voyeurism Video is Released
MANSFIELD, Ohio — The legal troubles facing Butler Mayor Wesley Dingus are far from over, as he appeared in Mansfield Municipal Court on today to answer to new criminal charges.
According to reporting by Richland Source, Dingus has been charged with two counts of voyeurism in Mansfield Municipal Court. He was joined in court by defense attorney James Mayer III, who entered not guilty pleas on his client’s behalf. Mayer is also representing Dingus in a separate felony case pending in Richland County Common Pleas Court.
Mayer told the magistrate that Dingus has no prior criminal convictions and has remained in full compliance with bond conditions in his previously filed felony case. After considering arguments from both sides, the court set bond at $10,000, 10%, and ordered no contact with the alleged victim along with electronic monitoring should Dingus be released.
Prior Indictment Still Pending
The voyeurism charges are not the only legal matters confronting the Butler mayor.
In 2025, Dingus was indicted by a Richland County grand jury on four additional counts, including:
Aggravated assault (fourth-degree felony)
Vehicular assault (fourth-degree felony)
Falsification (first-degree misdemeanor)
Dereliction of duty (second-degree misdemeanor)
Those charges stem from a July 11, 2025 incident, in which Dingus is accused of striking a man twice with his vehicle. Authorities said the man was wanted by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction for a parole violation and was reportedly fleeing police during a traffic stop when the incident occurred.
Dingus was arrested on a warrant on Aug. 17, 2025, pleaded not guilty to all charges the following day, and was released from the Richland County Jail on a $25,000 bond. That case remains pending in Richland County Common Pleas Court.
Background on Voyeurism Investigation
As previously reported by ACP News, the voyeurism investigation began on Jan. 13, 2026, after the Richland County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by Richland County Children Services regarding a complaint they had received.
Authorities were provided with video footage allegedly showing an adult male entering a teenage victim’s bedroom and engaging in inappropriate behavior involving her personal clothing.
A detective met with the victim on Jan. 14 at her school, accompanied by a Children Services representative and school administrators. During that interview, the teen reported longstanding suspicions that her stepfather had been entering her bedroom while she was not home, noting that personal items appeared disturbed on multiple occasions.
According to the sheriff’s office report, the student had recently installed a small video camera in her bedroom. On the morning of Jan. 13, she received motion alerts shortly after leaving for school. When reviewing the footage, she observed Dingus enter her bedroom on two separate occasions, handling and smelling multiple pairs of her underwear.
The victim told investigators that Dingus had never touched her inappropriately or made sexual comments toward her, but said the videos made her feel extremely uncomfortable. She agreed to provide a formal recorded statement at the sheriff’s office.
Following consultation with Assistant Law Director Rob Sharp, investigators determined that Dingus would be issued two summonses for voyeurism, in violation of Ohio Revised Code 2907.08(A), with one count corresponding to each incident captured on video.
Previous Stories,
Butler Mayor Wesley Dingus Arrested Today on Aggravated Assault Charge Following July Incident
Story Update: Butler Police Chief Emphasizes Transparency in Ongoing Investigation
