MANSFIELD — Bryce Witchey has been in the Richland County Jail for 10 months after his arrest for allegedly trying to convince a Mansfield woman to let him have sex with her 8-year-old daughter.
But the 29-year-old Mansfield man’s trial date on that charge — and 30 additional counts related to child pornography — remains up in the air.
Richland County Common Pleas Court Judge Brent Robinson on Friday granted a defense motion to delay the jury trial that had been set for April 24.
Veteran Richland County defense attorney Bernie Davis filed a motion for the delay Friday after a hearing during which Robinson ruled the 29-year-old Mansfield man was competent to stand trial.
“The reason for said request is because this is a complex case and defense counsel needs sufficient time to investigate it,” Davis said in his request to delay the trial.
(Below is a PDF with a filing by defense attorney Bernie Davis seeking to delay the trial of Bryce Witchey.)
Davis had asked for a second evaluation after the District V Forensic Diagnostic Center found Witchey was competent in December.
Davis and Richland County Prosecutor Jodie Schumacher agreed to stipulate to the findings of a second evaluator, who also found Witchey competent to stand trial.
The ruling means Witchey understands the nature of the proceedings against him and can assist counsel in his defense.
(Below is a PDF with Richland County Common Pleas Court Judge Brent Robinson’s decision that Bryce Witchey is competent to stand trial.)
Davis took the case on Dec. 16. Defense attorney Rolf Whitney had been handling the case but has since become a court magistrate in Morrow County.
According to online court records, Davis also on Friday withdrew Witchey’s earlier of plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.
Witchey, initially arrested June 14 by Mansfield police after a woman claimed he was talking to her via social media and seeking sex with her 8-year-old daughter, remains in the Richland County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
Witchey was later also indicted on 30 counts of illegal use of a minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance and a single count of attempted importuning, which was the initial charge levied by Mansfield police when he was arrested.
His jury trial had been scheduled Feb. 6, though Davis had earlier successfully obtained a continuance, telling Robinson the case against his client “is very complex … involving a number of legal and factual issues which need to be investigated.”
Attempted importuning is a fourth-degree felony. Fifteen of the other 30 counts are second-degree felonies while 15 others are fifth-degree felonies.
Prosecutors say the alleged crimes happened between April 2023 and June 2024.
