(Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection - Court Reports)

PARKERSBURG — A Parkersburg South High School teacher on unpaid suspension after being accused of sexual abuse related to his work as a middle school basketball coach was one of 75 people indicted this week by the Wood County Grand Jury.

Dwain Sponseller, 40, 230 Washington Heights, Parkersburg, was indicted on nine counts of first-degree sexual abuse and seven counts of sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian. According to a release from the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office, the charges stem from incidents that occurred from March 2005 to March of this year.

Sponseller was arrested by Parkersburg Police in March after it was reported that he had been observed inside VanDevender Middle School, when he was not permitted to be there, in the company of a juvenile. He was arrested after two juveniles were interviewed, police said.

Wood County Prosecutor Pat Lefebure said the earlier charges were the result of new victims developed during the course of the investigation but he could not elaborate further.

Sponseller remains on unpaid suspension from the school district, Wood County Schools Superintendent Christie Willis said Friday. The board voted to place him on suspension shortly after his arrest in March.

Aaron Luke Cross, 27, in custody at the North Central Regional Jail, was indicted on charges of attempted murder, malicious assault, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, conspiracy to commit possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, use or presentation of a firearm during the commission of a felony, escape and four counts of wanton endangerment involving a firearm.

Cross was arrested in April after a reported shooting at an apartment in the 1600 block of Tygart Street in Parkersburg and found a resident of the apartment had been shot in the leg. A search warrant was executed and 4 grams each of suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine were recovered. Officers developed Cross as a suspect and arrested him after finding him hiding in the basement of a residence on 19th Street.

Alexas Kay Steakley, 20, of 1600 Tygart St., Apt. 8, Parkersburg, was arrested at the 19th Street residence and indicted this week as a co-defendant of Cross’ on three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and one count each of conspiracy to commit possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, accessory after the fact to attempted murder and/or wanton endangerment, accessory after the fact to malicious assault and transporting a controlled substance onto the grounds of a jail.

The man who was shot – Robert Nevonicus Aguilar, 28, 1600 Tygart St., Apt. 8, Parkersburg – was also indicted during this grand jury session on a charge of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.

Others indicted by the panel were:

* Michael R. Atkinson, 43, in custody at the North Central Regional Jail, and Lisa Y. Taylor, 38, 610 31st St., Parkersburg, were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to commit a felony from April. Atkinson was also indicted on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle, destruction of property, burglary, grand larceny, first-degree robbery, petit larceny and two counts of wanton endangerment involving a firearm from March and April. Taylor was also indicted on a charge of accessory after the fact to robbery from April.

* William Edward Bacorn, 49, 1013 32nd St., Parkersburg; nine counts of first-degree sexual abuse; 10 counts of sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian; and one count of second-degree sexual assault, from September 2019 through December 2023.

* Devin Wayne Bailey, 20, 17 Elmwood Drive, Williamstown; negligent homicide, speeding and driving on roadways laned for traffic from November 2023. Lefebure said this was a direct indictment, meaning Bailey had not previously been charged. Additional information was not immediately available Friday.

* Joshua Nathaniel Blake, 35, Chloe, W.Va.; two counts of domestic battery and one count each of malicious assault and child abuse resulting in serious injury from February.

* Gary Lee Bland Jr., 34, 880 Lindsay Ave., Akron; fleeing from an officer in a vehicle with reckless indifference and four counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver from May.

* Zachary R. Burdette, 28, and Kayla Dawn Rachelle Bell, 33, both in custody at North Central Regional Jail; two counts each of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and conspiracy to commit possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver from July. Burdette was also indicted on two counts of delivery of a controlled substance from June.

* Jonathan Dillon Cayton, 29, 220 S. Fifth St., Marietta, and Brand Sue Griswold, 27, 1318 Oak St., Parkersburg; five counts each of child neglect creating a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury from April. Griswold was also indicted on charges of child abuse resulting in bodily injury from April 2023 through August 2024 and child neglect causing bodily injury from April 2023 through April 2024.

* Vance E. Cross, 66, 2322 Morningside Ave., Parkersburg; second-offense possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and second-offense maintaining a dwelling for using, keeping or selling of controlled substances from April.

* Larry Manuel Defrietas, 52, North Central Regional Jail; three counts of second-offense possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and one count each of fleeing from an officer in a vehicle with reckless indifference and third-offense driving while license revoked for DUI, all from June.

* Elijah Jamaal Dixon, 30, in custody at the Salem Correctional Center; second-offense possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver from June.

* Roderick Eugene Drain II, 42, North Central Regional Jail; two counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver from May.

* John Daniel Emerson, 46, North Central Regional Jail; malicious assault and third-offense domestic battery from April and third-offense domestic assault and destruction of property from November 2023.

* Noah Christopher Farnsworth, 25, 1220 20th St., Apt. 2, Parkersburg; child abuse resulting in serious injury and child neglect creating a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury from December 2023.

* Kevin Shamick Fitzgerald, 34, 208 Margaret Court, Fairmont; burglary from July.

* Tommy Wayne Fluharty, 36, 1616 Spring St., Parkersburg; burglary, grand larceny and destruction of property from March.

* Betty Genger, 47, 1700 17th St., Apt. 5, Parkersburg; burglary and petit larceny from May.

* Jacob Wilson Givens, 25, North Central Regional Jail; one count each of felony destruction of property and conspiracy to commit a felony and two counts each of misdemeanor destruction of property and petit larceny from December 2023.

* Chad Stephen Greenleaf, 53, 35 Aqua Isle Circle, Parkersburg; fleeing from an officer in a vehicle with reckless indifference and obstructing an officer from March.

* Julie Lee Grimes Jr., 51, North Central Regional Jail; burglary and breaking and entering from June.

* Araya Mae Hammonds, 29, 45 Mill Branch Road, Fenwick, W.Va.; possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and maintaining a vehicle for the using, keeping or selling of controlled substances from November 2023.

* Austin Hartley, 20, 117 Diamond Drive, Davisville; two counts of second-degree sexual abuse from February 2022 to May 2024 and one count of second-degree sexual assault from April 2022 to April 2023.

* Adrian Steven Henderson, 39, Mount Olive Correctional Center; escape and destruction of property from July.

* Jesse James Hickel, 42, and Danielle M. Turpin, 36, both of 7641 Pike St., Lot 4, Mineral Wells; two counts each of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and one count each of conspiracy to commit possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Hickel was also charged with fleeing from an officer in a vehicle, child neglect creating substantial risk of bodily injury and maintaining a dwelling for using, keeping or selling of controlled substances. Turpin was also charged with second-offense maintaining a dwelling for using, keeping or selling of controlled substances. All charges were from June.

* Lewis Franklin Holcomb, 36, 712 Grafton St., Parkersburg; embezzlement and grand larceny by embezzlement from January through April.

* Kevin Hunter, 47, 667 Miller Hollow Road, Auburn, W.Va.; two counts of child abuse resulting in injury from January 2012 through December 2013.

* Andrew Gus Janetos, 36, 2020 Green Run Road, St. Marys; embezzlement, grand larceny by embezzlement and receiving or transferring stolen goods from April through May.

* Devon James Johnson, 23, 186 Mineral Park Lane, Mineral Wells; possession of a controlled substance and second-offense driving while license suspended or revoked from September.

* Ethan Edward Rolland Kelly, 18, 199 Fox Run Drive, Suite 23, Mineral Wells; fleeing from an officer in a vehicle with reckless indifference, fleeing from an officer in a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances or drugs and driving a vehicle with an alcohol concentration of 15 hundredths of 1% or more from January.

* Joseph Dewayne Lemon, 35, Huttonsville Correctional Center; two counts of violation of a protective order and one count of harassment violating a protective order from April.

* Eric Charles Liotti, 22, St. Marys Correctional Center; one count of second-degree sexual assault and four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor from May and two counts of third-degree sexual assault from August 2021 through August 2022.

* Lindsey Marie Lucas, 40, 3010 Camden Ave., Parkersburg; failure to render aid from May.

* Nathan Lee Manley, 35, Salem Correctional Center, and Katie Lynn Munoz, 30, North Central Regional Jail; one count each of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and conspiracy to commit possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver from March. Manley was also charged with one count of persons prohibited from possessing a firearm from March.

* Clifford Marlowe, 32, 63 East Hickory St., Davisville; fraudulent schemes and bribery, false claims, from May 2021 through January 2022.

* Alandre Felix Martinez, 34, Parkersburg; one count each of strangulation and burglary from November and two counts of domestic battery from November through May.

* Richard Alan Maul, 56, Parkersburg; strangulation and domestic battery from July.

* Kamron Milhoan, 25, 6122 Plainfield Road, Cincinnati; two counts of second-degree sexual assault from June 2021.

* Justin Lee Moore, 33, North Central Regional Jail; three counts of fraudulent use of an access device from March.

* April Ann Mounts, 49, North Central Regional Jail; transporting a controlled substance onto the grounds of a jail, possession of a controlled substance and obstructing an officer from February.

* Steven Matthew Mulinex, 42, 1300 Rayon Drive, Parkersburg; three counts of second-offense possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver from April.

* Matthew Collin Murray, 25, North Central Regional Jail; fleeing from an officer in a vehicle with reckless indifference from November 2023 and attempted malicious assault and malicious assault from May.

* Elijah Christopher Nelson, 18, Salem Correctional Center; grand larceny from June 2023 and seven counts of fraudulent use of an access device from April 2023.

* Ryan Mitchell Neville, 35, 60 Trestle Hill Road, Marietta; six counts each of first-degree sexual abuse and sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian from October 2021 through June 2024.

* Jessica Ogena, 36; Andrew David Havener, 37; and Brandon James Sampson, 39; all of 656 Liberty St., Parkersburg; two counts each of child neglect creating substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury from April.

* Damion Michael Payton, 29, North Central Regional Jail; seven counts of first-degree sexual abuse, six counts of first-degree sexual assault, one count of use of obscene matter with intent to seduce a minor and 13 counts of sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian from December 2018 to June 2024 and one count of child abuse resulting in injury from May.

* Trenton M. Powell, 19, North Central Regional Jail; six counts of wanton endangerment involving a firearm from March.

* Levi Raymond Putnam, 426 Buck Run Road, Mineral Wells; one count each of breaking and entering, grand larceny, petit larceny and possession of a stolen vehicle from January.

* Nellie Louise Raber, 47, 2478 Blennerhassett Heights Road, Parkersburg; possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and conspiracy to commit possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver from October 2023.

* Juan H. Richards, 43, North Central Regional Jail; two counts of wanton endangerment involving a firearm and one count each of first-degree robbery, second-degree robbery, grand larceny and persons prohibited from possessing a firearm from April. Richards was also charged with fleeing from an officer in a vehicle with reckless indifference, fleeing from a police officer, transporting a controlled substance onto the grounds of a jail and possession of a controlled substance from May.

* Rausheen D. Rivers, 21, 192 Tulip St., Akron; possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and transporting a controlled substance onto the grounds of a jail from April.

* Johnny B. Roberts, 53, North Central Regional Jail; second-offense counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and maintaining a dwelling for using, keeping or selling of controlled substances from February.

* Nathan Perry Simmons, 50, 3030 Lost Pavement Road, Parkersburg; two counts of third-offense shoplifting from August 2023 through July 2024 and one count of conspiracy to commit a felony from July.

* Rodger Lee Smith, 46, 105 WPA Road, Walker; third-offense driving while license revoked for DUI, driving a vehicle while in an impaired state and possession of a controlled substance from April 2023.

* Christopher Edward Sower II, 21, North Central Regional Jail; strangulation and domestic battery from May.

* Vernon Edward Sprouse Jr., 44, 914 Lavern St., Parkersburg; four counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver from December through July and one count of persons prohibited from possessing a firearm from July.

* Jacob A. Stewart, 45, 30359 Trouble Creek Road, Portland, Ohio; malicious assault and unlawful restraint from November 2023.

* Eric J. Swihart, 39, North Central Regional Jail; two counts each of persons prohibited from possessing a firearm and persons prohibited from possessing a concealed firearm and one count of possession of a controlled substance, all from May.

* Richard Lee Treadway, 48, North Central Regional Jail; eight counts of breaking and entering from May 2023 through April 2024, eight counts of destruction of property from August 2023 through May 2024, four counts of grand larceny from January through April, two counts of petit larceny from August 2023 through February 2024 and one count of possession of stolen goods from April.

* Amanda Leanne Tucker, 42, 18 Federal St., Little Hocking; possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, driving while license revoked for miscellaneous and no proof of insurance from April.

* Evan Robert Tucker, 35, 2049 Old River Road, Williamstown; attempted malicious assault and destruction of property from April.

* Ralfe Lindel Upshaw, 37, North Central Regional Jail; second-offense possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver from April.

* Emily Ann Wagner, 36, 140 Newels Run Road, Newport; six counts of fraudulent use of an access device from September 2019.

* Robert D. Williamson, 39, 1108 27th St., Vienna; 40 counts of distribution and exhibition of material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct from September 2023.

* Bret MIchael Wilson, 35, North Central Regional Jail; three counts each of driving in an impaired state causing bodily injury and leaving the scene of a crash involving bodily injury and one count each of driving in an impaired state causing serious bodily injury, driving in an impaired state, leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury, fleeing from a police officer and third-offense driving while license suspended or revoked from March.

* Dacoda Thomas Wilson, 30, 705 Barclay St., Lot 26, Belpre; three counts of sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian from December 2014 through September 2023, two counts of first-degree sexual assault from December 2014 through December 2016 and one count of first-degree sexual abuse from January 2022 through September 2023.