Middletown man pleads guilty to rape, child porn charges

A Middletown man has pleaded guilty to rape and multiple child pornography charges.

Phillip Gregory Norman, 54, of Ottawa Street, was indicted in October on two counts of rape, two counts of gross sexual imposition involving a minor, and 46 charges of child pornography.

MORE: Middletown man indicted on 46 child porn charges

Norman pleaded guilty March 1 in Butler County Common Pleas Court to rape, gross sexual imposition, pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, and three counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance.

The remainder of the charges were dismissed.

Sentencing by Judge Noah Powers has been set for March 23. Norman faces up to 48 years in prison. He will also be classified as a Tier III sex offender, requiring him to register his residence every 90 days for the rest of his life.

Middletown police arrested Norman in September after a mother called police when her daughter returned from a sleepover and said Norman had sexually assaulted her, according to a police report.

On the day of Norman’s arrest, Middletown detectives obtained a search warrant to seize and view images on Norman’s cellphone and laptop computer, according to court documents.

In the affidavit for the search warrant, detectives said Norman confessed to performing a sex act on a minor girl and taking pictures of girls’ breasts.

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