By Scott Halasz
XENIA — A Fairborn man will spend the rest of the his life in prison after committing sex crimes against a minor.
Michael D. Lancaster, 65, was sentenced to life without parole plus 31 years after being found guilty in September on six charges including rape, a felony of the first degree; gross sexual imposition, a felony of the third degree and illegal use of a minor in a nudity-oriented material or performance, a felony of the second degree.
The charges date back to July 2015 when Lancaster was indicted by a Greene County Grand Jury for alleged crimes against an adolescent girl, the daughter of his adopted son’s girlfriend.
Lancaster had no comment prior to sentencing by Judge Michael Buckwalter and sat motionless as Buckwalter read the punishment. Defense attorney Samuel Petroff pleaded for leniency because of Lancaster’s age and health.
Assistant Prosecutor David Hayes asked for the maximum sentence of life without parole plus 37 years, citing the severity of the crimes.
“… the purpose of the sentence would be to punish the defendant for what he did,” Hayes said.
Lancaster received life without parole for the rape; three years for the gross sexual imposition; and seven years each for four counts of the illegal use of a minor in a nudity-oriented material or performance. He was also ordered to pay for court costs but was not levied any other fine. Court records show Lancaster filed an affidavit of indigency.
“This is as close to justice as our system will allow,” Assistant Prosecutor Alice DeWine said after the sentencing.
Petroff declined comment after the hearing but said an appeal will most likely be filed on Lancaster’s behalf. Lancaster, who also most register as a tier III sex offender, was taken into custody of the Greene County Sheriff and will be transferred to an Ohio correctional facility to serve his sentence. Buckwalter said Lancaster will receive 462 days of credit for jail time already served.
Michael Lancaster during his trial.
