COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A former Ohio television weatherman who pleaded guilty to child pornography-related charges shouldn’t go to prison because he never created any images or harmed any children, his defense attorney argued in a court filing.
Mike Davis, 60, pleaded guilty in late January to three counts of pandering sexually oriented material and one count of possession of sexually oriented material involving a minor. Authorities say he downloaded 16,000 images over seven years.
Attorney Terry Sherman wrote in the filing that Davis, a longtime meteorologist for WBNS-TV in Columbus, has take responsibility and is receiving counseling and therapy, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
The judge in the case should sentence Davis to probation and treatment at a community-based corrections facility, Sherman wrote.
“Mr. Davis has ruined a reputation that took him a lifetime to build, and has foreclosed any future ability to obtain employment in the media or in related professional areas,” Sherman wrote. “Now, he is too ashamed to even show his face in public.”
Davis was fired after his arrest in September.
Davis’ scheduled sentencing on March 25 is in doubt because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien told the newspaper his office will seek a prison sentence.
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