ASHLAND — An Ashland resident was recently charged for sex crimes against minors after he already served a prison sentence for a related conviction.
Iann Christopher Simmons, 34, faces five felony charges and one misdemeanor charge involving crimes against minors for incidents authorities say happened between Jan. 1 and May 25, 2025, while Simmons was under probation.
Charges include two counts of grooming, two counts of gross sexual imposition and one count of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles in the Ashland County Court of Common Pleas.
The charges come as a result of an investigation by Loudonville Police which began in May of this year.
The alleged victims were 11 and 12 years old, according to a press release from the Loudonville Police Department.
Four members of the Loudonville Police Department participated in the investigation of this case.
Detectives from the Ashland Police Department and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation also assisted with the investigation, according to the press release.
Loudonville Police Det. Gary Hannan said the crimes occurred in Loudonville. He did not say if the victims are Loudonville residents.
Ohio prosecutor James Reese said Simmons committed the crimes while he was on parole for a previous conviction of pandering obscenity involving minors.
Bond set at $100K
Reese requested Simmons’ bond be set at $100,000 on Nov. 12, due to his extensive record of acts against children, previous parole violations and “to protect any minors in our community.”
Simmons was originally indicted by an Ashland County Grand Jury on Oct. 10, 2025.
He is scheduled for a Zoom video arraignment, complaint or indictment on these charges on Dec. 4 at 10:30 a.m.
Simmons is in Lorain Correctional Institution, where he was returned to after his parole violations, and will soon be transferred to the Ashland County Jail, per the request of Ashland County Sheriff Kurt J. Schneider.
Out on probation
Simmons had been on supervised release since Oct. 3, 2022, with 5 years and 8 months of required supervision under Richland County Adult Parole Authority, when he allegedly committed the new offenses.
In May 2016, he was sentenced to four years of probation after pleading guilty to 11 counts of pandering sexual matter involving minors by the Richland County Common Pleas.
After multiple probation violations, he received a five-year prison term from Richland County Common Pleas Judge James DeWeese.