Dennis withdrew earlier not‑guilty pleas and entered guilty pleas to three charges of attempted sexual battery before Butler County Common Pleas Judge Keith Spaeth. Each charge is a fourth-degree felony.
Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining five counts of sexual battery.
The maximum jail term for each attempted sexual battery count is 18 months and a $5,000 fine, according to court documents.
A sentencing hearing for Dennis is set for March 12.
According to court documents, he will be designated a Tier III Sex Offender and subject to the registration and reporting requirements specified by Ohio law, including in-person address verification every 90 days for life, according to court documents.
Dennis was a social studies teacher at Lakota East High school when he had an alleged sexual relationship with a student during the 2021-2022 school year, according to court records. He was also an adviser to a student assistance group in which the victim participated, according to authorities.
The Lakota School Board accepted Dennis’ resignation Aug. 18. It was effective Aug. 11, according to school district records.
The relationship between Dennis and the student began in late 2021 during her senior year when she was 17 years old and lasted for several months, according to court records.
The complaint reported the two had sexual relations in Dennis’ classroom, in the parking lot of the student’s workplace, at his home in West Chester Twp., and at his former home in Liberty Twp. His accuser allegedly shared with a sheriff’s office investigator a text thread between her and Dennis about their past relationship, according to court records.
Last October, Judge Spaeth set a jury trial for Feb. 2. Dennis was out on bond, wearing a GPS monitor and restricted from contacting the victim, according to the court.
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