A Willow Wood woman has been sentenced to four and half years in prison after pleading guilty to sex with a minor.

On Tuesday, Jodi Rae Ridenour, 35, 1490 County Road 64, Willow Wood, plead guilty to one count of third-degree felony unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in the Lawrence County Common Pleas Court of Judge Andrew Ballard.

Ridenour was indicted on Jan. 26 on two counts of third-degree felony unlawful sexual conduct with a minor after an investigation by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office found that Ridenour was having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old child. According to the indictment, the acts occurred between Nov. 1, 2021-Dec. 31, 2021. Ridenour plead not guilty to the charges on Feb. 23 and was ordered to remain 1,000 feet from all public schools.

On June 8, she changed her plea to guilty and waived her right to a jury trial.

At her sentencing, Ridenour requested she be put on community control while Lawrence County Prosecutor Brigham Anderson requested the maximum penalty of 60 months in prison.
Ballard sentenced Ridenour to 54 months.

“We believe with this sentence today justice has been served for the victim, the victim’s family and the community as a whole,” said Anderson in a press release. “I will continue to work every day to assure that people who harm children are brought to justice.”

Ridenour is being sent to the Ohio Reformatory For Women in Marysville.