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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOhio Pastor Who Complained About Graphic Gay Novel at Daughter's School Pleads Guilty to Sexual Crimes Involving Childre
https://www.ibtimes.sg/ohio-pastor-who-complained-about-graphic-gay-novel-daughters-school-pleads-guilty-sexual-crimes-85683By Manthan C.
April 23, 2026 19:08 +08
A Wilmington, Ohio, pastor who had previously spoken out against LGBTQ+ visibility in schools, has pleaded guilty to multiple sex offences involving a minor.
According to court records and local reporting, Silas Shelton entered the plea on Monday, 20 April, just before his five-day trial was due to begin. He was arrested last fall.
Shelton pleaded guilty to three third-degree felony counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, along with one misdemeanour count of menacing by stalking. In exchange, more serious charges, including rape, sexual battery, gross sexual imposition and arson, were dismissed.
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The case has attracted additional attention because Shelton had previously made public appearances railing against LGBTQ+ content in schools.
Shelton spoke in front of the Little Miami Local School District board of education in August, 2023 about the graphic novel Heartstopper by Alice Oseman, which features LGBTQ+ characters and romance. He condemned the book's inclusion in a book fair at his 12-year-old daughter's school, saying "it isn't a religion matter ... It's a health risk. It's mental health."
"I don't think kids should ever question their sexuality. I don't think kids should ever explore their sexuality. I don't think any of that stuff ever ought to be in our school," Shelton said. "But [my daughter] come home asking me why certain books were in that book fair, which were pertaining to books of gay. One of them was Heartstopper, which is where a gay boy pressures a straight kid into kissing him."
Permanut
(8,478 posts)Not in the same league as his Grand High and Exalted Mystic Ruler.
Deuxcents
(27,378 posts)Lifeafter70
(1,157 posts)Plea deal.
Buckeyeblue
(6,395 posts)But, I agree, there are some real doozys on the list that got dropped.
Diamond_Dog
(40,806 posts)Always seem to be the ones with a skeleton in their closet.
Rebl2
(17,861 posts)right. The holier than thou folks are the ones that are suspect in my opinion.
3catwoman3
(29,621 posts)Every damned time.
niyad
(133,307 posts)Abolishinist
(2,988 posts)Jvp
(82 posts)not fooled
(6,730 posts)probably refers to storytelling via illustration, not graphic depictions of sex. Poor choice of words there that unfortunately plays into some people's fear of "teh gays."
OldBaldy1701E
(11,339 posts)Anything to bolster their position.
Prairie Gates
(8,344 posts)There's also no requirement that the post heading match the article title in GD, so the OP should have exercised a minimum of care and changed it.
OldBaldy1701E
(11,339 posts)We should never cover for their lunacy or their ignorance.
And, for those who may not understand what we are complaining about, the title should have been written as:
"Ohio Pastor Who Complained About Gay Graphic Novel at Daughter's School Pleads Guilty to Sexual Crimes Involving Children"
The term for such publications is 'graphic novel', which means it is presented and illustrated like a comic book. They switched the words.
And, we think it was done on purpose. Like, 'think it was' to the extent that we would swear it was.
BeneteauBum
(639 posts)How often do we read of these holier than thou preying on children. The hypocrisy just makes me sick.
Peace ☮️
BurnDoubt
(1,829 posts)He should go down for the Whole Package.
Do the Crime.
Do the Time!
0rganism
(25,678 posts)For whatever reason, we aren't supposed to extrapolate from the data we have.
Coventina
(29,824 posts)BlueWaveNeverEnd
(14,623 posts)malaise
(297,048 posts)Never fails.
Norrrm
(5,318 posts)Why are right wingers and the religious right so dead set against gays, trans, and others? --- Misdirection.
Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 52
https://www.dailykos.com/blogs/CajsaLilliehook

Prairie Gates
(8,344 posts)Come on.
GoCubsGo
(34,964 posts)i mean besides every one of us who have been watching for decades the parade of these pastors, priests, scout leaders, etc., getting arrested for pedophilia, after trying to cast the LGBQT community as the pedophiles and perverts. I will say that I hadn't heard them being accused of resorting to arson, though.