EATON — Three days before a trial in a child porn case was supposed to happen, the court dropped those charges against an Eaton man as part of a plea agreement.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
On Friday morning, in a change of plea hearing in Preble County Common Pleas Court, Ernest Hatmaker entered a plea of “no contest” to a 5th Degree Felony charge of Possessing Criminal Tools included in a new bill of information.
Visiting Judge William Wolff then found Hatmaker guilty of that charge.
TRENDING STORIES:
- ‘They ran him over;’ 911 call details moments person hit by 2 vehicles in deadly crash
- Eric Dane reveals ALS diagnosis
- Over a dozen firearms stolen from local gun store; $10K reward offered in investigation
In exchange, as part of a plea agreement, the entire original indictment in the case against Hatmaker was dismissed. The original indictment included six charges: five counts of Pandering Sexually-Oriented Matter Involving a Minor or Impaired Person and one count of Illegal Use of Minor or Impaired Person in Nudity-Oriented Material or Performance.
Neither prosecutors nor the defense provided any information about what led to the plea agreement in open court on Friday.
During the hearing, Hatmaker also withdrew his request for a trial by jury, which was previously scheduled to start on Monday, April 14.
News Center 7 has been following this case for nearly three years – ever since FBI agents and Preble County deputies raided Hatmaker’s home near Eaton in June 2022 with a search warrant. Documents News Center 7 obtained through a public records request showed the search was connected to an investigation into possible child pornography.
When a Preble County grand jury indicted Hatmaker on state charges in the case in May 2024, the Preble County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to News Center 7 that the FBI was no longer involved in the case. “They did not feel that it met the threshold for federal charges, so it was turned back over to our investigators,” Preble County Sheriff Mike Simpson said at the time.
“We’re pleased with the resolution,” Hatmaker’s defense lawyer, James Fleisher, told News Center 7 after Friday morning’s hearing when the plea agreement was finalized. “All six original counts were dismissed. Mr. Hatmaker is looking forward to returning to the community where he’s been a law-abiding citizen his entire life.”
The Preble County Prosecutor’s Office declined to comment until sentencing.
Hatmaker is due back in court for sentencing on May 5.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
