The Franklin County Prosecutor's Office will not move forward with charges filed last year that were later dropped against a Whitehall City Council member accused of sex crimes involving a child.
Gerald Dixon, who was reelected in 2025 to his position to represent Whitehall's Ward 1, was charged in December 2025 with gross sexual imposition and compelling prostitution of a minor. He was released on his own recognizance the day after his arrest when a Franklin County assistant prosecutor could not provide more details on the charges against Dixon to the court.
Dixon was sworn in for his term on City Council a day after being released. The charges against him were dismissed in Franklin County Municipal Court shortly before Christmas 2025. Shortly
after his arrest, City Council tried and failed two separate times to vote Dixon out of his seat. The second vote, which took place in January of this year, was split 3-3 among council members, with Harcar, Devin Brown, and Elmore voting to expel Dixon. Council members Larry Morrison, Brian McCann, and Mike Adkins voted against the resolution.
After Dixon's arrest, Crispen wrote a letter to Mayor Bivensdocumenting what he said were Dixon's writings and journal entries documenting his attraction to underage boys.
"After a thorough review of the evidence submitted by the Whitehall Police Department regarding Mr. Gerald Dixon, our prosecutors have determined that we will not be moving forward with a presentation to the Grand Jury at this time," Nya Hairston, a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office, said in an email Sept. 21 to The Dispatch. "This decision was reached carefully and deliberately, following multiple meetings in which all parties fully evaluated and discussed the evidentiary issues."
The Dispatch reached out to Dixon via phone on Sept. 21 for comment, but he did not respond. His attorney, Mark Collins, declined to comment when contacted by The Dispatch.
"It’s important to note that while police need a reasonable belief that a crime occurred to make an arrest, prosecutors must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, the highest standard in our legal system, to secure a conviction," Hairston told The Dispatch. "That gap exists to protect against wrongful conviction, but it also means cases that meet the standard for arrest may not yet meet the standard for prosecution."
This is a breaking news story. Check back at Dispatch.com for more updates.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Prosecutors will not move forward with charges against Whitehall Council member
