A small-town Ohio mayor now faces criminal prosecution after investigators say a hidden bedroom camera captured him committing acts that prosecutors allege amount to voyeurism involving a minor.
Authorities in Richland County, Ohio, arrested Butler mayor Wesley Dingus in February 2026 after a teenage girl reported discovering video footage showing him entering her bedroom and smelling her underwear, according to sheriff's records and court filings.
The case has drawn national scrutiny because Dingus is an elected official already facing unrelated criminal charges. Court proceedings now place his political future and legal freedom under intense examination as prosecutors move forward.
According to an incidentreportfiled by the Richland County Sheriff's Office, the investigation began on Jan. 13, 2026 when children's services alerted deputies to video evidence allegedly showing an adult male entering a juvenile's bedroom and handling her clothing. The footage had been captured after the teenager installed a small surveillance camera because she suspected someone had been entering her room while she was away at school.
Republican family values. Wesley Dingus, the Republican mayor of Butler Ohio, has been arrested and charged with voyeurism after he was caught on video entering a teen girl’s bedroom and sniffing her underwear.pic.twitter.com/labkmn6KpS
Investigators later interviewed the girl at her high school alongside a children's services representative. She told authorities that her phone received a motion alert shortly after she left home that morning. When she reviewed the recording, she reported seeing Dingus pick up multiple pairs of her underwear and smell them.
Law enforcement documents state that children's services referred the matter immediately forcriminal investigation. Deputies subsequently reviewed the footage and prepared charges alleging two counts of voyeurism under Ohio law. The alleged victim is described in records as a minor who had been staying at the residence where Dingus lived.
Investigators allege the conduct occurred on more than one occasion during January, with video recordings forming the central evidentiary basis for the case. Authorities said the evidence was sufficient to pursue criminal summonses, which were later served before Dingus's arrest on Feb. 13.
Dingus, 48, appeared before Mansfield Municipal Court shortly after his arrest and entered a plea of not guilty to both voyeurism charges. Court records show bond was set at £7,400 ($10,000), with the mayor required to post a percentage for release.
As part of the release conditions, the presiding judge ordered Dingus to wear a GPS ankle monitor and prohibited any contact with the alleged victim. The restrictions remain in effect while the case proceeds through pre-trial hearings.
Source: International Business Times UK
