LISBON – Two men were sentenced in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Monday for sexual-related crimes against children while another man pleaded guilty to exposing himself to a 6-year-old.

Richard T. Wright, 20, Jefferson Street, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to both gross sexual imposition and public indecency.

Assistant County Prosecutor Timothy McNicol said on Jan. 4, Wright was attending a football party where there were both adults and children in an East Liverpool home. At some point, Wright was discovered exposing himself while in a room with a 6-year-old child. McNicol said the child also indicated there was some sexual contact going on, too.

McNicol told Judge C. Ashley Pike there is a required term of incarceration for the gross sexual imposition charge and he will be asking for a three-year sentence for Wright when he is sentenced on Oct. 26.

Earlier in the day, Pike sentenced Zachary J. Taylor, 20, North Ellsworth Avenue, Salem, to 14 months in prison for sexual conduct with a 13-year-old girl on July 14, 2014.

Taylor had pleaded guilty on April 20 to importuning and three counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. McNicol told Pike Taylor had parked in the lot at the Salem Acres apartment complex on July 14, 2014. Utilizing social media, Taylor encouraged the girl over and over again to leave her grandparents’ apartment and come outside to meet him.

McNicol said social media records show Taylor continued to contact the girl from 10:30 p.m. until after 3 a.m., even encouraging her to pose and send him provocative photos of herself in a bikini. The girl’s messages on social media indicated she told him she “really don’t want to do this.”

Then for about 58 minutes, McNicol said there were no messages. The next message from Taylor reportedly said he understood how uncomfortable she had been and noted it was not going to happen again.

Taylor’s defense attorney, James Burdon of Akron, pointed out Taylor admits to everything that happened and does not blame the girl for any of it. Burdon said Taylor is extremely religious, remorseful and shameful for what happened.

Taylor had several relatives in the courtroom, as well as the youth pastor from his church, Realife in Salem. Jonathan Dickenson said he has known Taylor for the past four years and he is someone who strives to do the right thing. According to Dickenson, Taylor has been working to be a better person and he does not believe he will again do anything like he did a year ago.

“Loving, loyal and honorable,” Dickenson described Taylor. “Once again we all make mistakes.”

Taylor said the past year has been “very long” for him, even though it went by extremely fast. He indicated he is embarrassed about what happened and promised Pike he would never do anything like this again.

Pike told Taylor he is fortunate to have such a good support system, including both his family and his church family. Taylor will be required to register as a Tier II sexual offender.

Another man, William M. Wright, 42, Minerva Street, East Liverpool, who previously pleaded guilty to child pornography charges, was sentenced to 17 months by Pike. Wright pleaded guilty in May to illegal use of a minor in nudity oriented material or performance, pandering obscenity involving a minor and pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor.

He will be required to register as a Tier II sexual offender, requiring him to register his address with the county sheriff every six months for the next 25 years.

“I apologize for everybody having to be here,” Wright said. “I’ve been through a lot of traumatic things and they led me to this.”