Silas H. Shelton, a pastor from Wilmington, Ohio known for speaking out against LGBTQ+ visibility in schools, has pleaded guilty to three third-degree felony counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

The charges stem from abuse that began in 2019 and involved a 14 or 15-year-old girl who was a member of Shelton’s congregation at the Blanchester Community Church in Ohio, continuing until shortly before his arrest in October 2025. Shelton made his plea deal on Monday (20 April) before the scheduled start of his five-day trial.

Shelton now faces between three and 15 years in prison and will be required to regularly register in person as a Tier II sex offender for 25 years under the terms of the plea deal.

Prosecutors said Shelton used his position of authority to groom and manipulate the victim, with the indictment indicating incidents occurring in multiple locations over several years.

The plea agreement saw more serious charges like rape and sexual battery dismissed ahead of a scheduled trial, as reported by the Wilmington News Journal.

Authorities described a pattern of exploitation tied to his role within the church and his access to the victim through work and community connections.

Prior to his 16 October arrest, Shelton had repeatedly publicly campaigned against LGBTQ+ content in schools during board meetings of the school district his 12-year-old daughter attended.

Shelton called displays of Pride flags “disgusting” and pushed for the removal of books like Heartstopper –which he expressed anger over his daughter seeing during a school book fair while speaking at an August 2023 school board meeting.

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