Former pastor Silas Shelton of Blanchester, Ohio, sentenced to 15 years for child sex crimes

A Clinton County pastor, identified by Blanchester Community Ministries as Silas Shelton, was sentenced to prison for sexual offenses involving a child, according to reports from dayton247now.com and local12.com. Local12.com described the sentencing hearing as held in a packed courtroom that revealed the community’s divided support for both the victim and Shelton. Churchleaders.com identified Shelton as a former Southern Baptist pastor of Blanchester Community Ministries in Blanchester, Ohio. Dayton247now.com reported that he was convicted, while churchleaders.com reported that he pleaded guilty.

Clinton County Prosecuting Attorney Brian Shidaker said Shelton exploited his position of trust within the church and the victim’s family. Shidaker said Shelton provided the victim with a job, which he then used to engage in unlawful sexual contact. Local12.com reported that prosecutors also emphasized the abuse of trust arising from Shelton’s relationship with the victim’s family and his position in the church, and detailed an incident of sexual contact on a wooded back road. Dayton247now.com reported that Shelton admitted to these actions during an earlier plea hearing.

Churchleaders.com reported that Shelton initially faced 12 charges and was arrested in October 2025 after being accused of sexual abuse that occurred as early as 2019. Investigators said he began sexually assaulting a member of his congregation who was 14 or 15 years old, and that the abuse continued until a few months before his arrest. The same outlet reported that Shelton was initially charged with two counts of arson over a July 2025 incident in which he was accused of setting fire to a home and an SUV. Those arson charges were later dropped under his plea agreement.

Churchleaders.com reported that in April Shelton pleaded guilty to four charges of child sex abuse. In exchange, prosecutors dropped additional charges, which a separate churchleaders.com report listed as rape, gross sexual imposition, and arson. Protecting the vulnerable is the central concern in a case where a child was harmed by a person entrusted with spiritual care (Proverbs 31:8-9).

The reports differ on the sentence. Dayton247now.com and local12.com reported that Shelton was sentenced to prison but did not state a term in the portions available. Churchleaders.com, in a headline on its report, stated that he was sentenced to 15 years for child sex crimes.