BROOKVILLE, Ohio — A firefighter has avoided prison after admitting to charges related to sex with a 16-year-old girl.
The Associated Press reported that 26-year-old Joshua Rawlins was sentenced on Wednesday to five years of community control, a type of parole. He pleaded guilty last month to one count of abduction and one count of misdemeanor sexual imposition. Charges of sexual battery were dropped as part of the plea agreement, according to the report.
Until his arrest in March 2014, Rawlins was a firefighter and EMT with the Brookville Fire Department. Prosecutors said he had sex with the teen on and off duty.
Rawlins waived any appeal rights and was ordered to resign from the fire department. He will no longer be able to serve in the capacity of a firefighter or EMT with any fire department.
He cannot have contact with the victim or her family. He’ll also have to register as a sex offender.
If he fails to follow the terms of his probation, he will be sentenced to three years in prison.