A Sidney man’s request to terminate his sex offense registration is under consideration.
Ankush Mittal, 42, appeared Tuesday in the courtroom of Wood County Common Pleas Judge Matt Reger.
Defense attorney Andrew Schuman asked the judge to terminate his client’s remaining time on community control and well as his Tier I sex offender registration requirements.
Mittal had been presented with a bill of information in October 2019 which outlined the allegations of burglary at the Bowling Green residence and menacing by stalking a family member with a sexual motivation.
He was sentenced in December 2019 to five years on community control and the court determined the menacing by stalking charge fell under the Tier I sexual classification.
Mittal is an international sales manager with a Sidney, Ohio, company, where he has been employed for 17 years.
Being listed on a sexual offense registration hampers him from leaving the country for work and is stalling his wife in joining him in Ohio from India, Schuman said.
Reger said the court does not have the authority to terminate Tier I sexual reporting.
Tier I sex offenders are subject to registration and verification requirements once every 12 months for 15 years.
Schuman said he read the statute differently than what the judge did, and it doesn’t say Reger can’t remove the requirement before 10 years.
Reger disagreed, and said the statute read a judge “may make the motion upon the expiration of 10 years.”
Mittal said when he travels for his job, Interpol doesn’t care about the charges, only that he is a sex offender.
He said the registration was holding him back from additional opportunities and responsibilities at work.
Wood County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Lara Rump said the court can terminate Mittal’s community control, but he needed to serve 10 years on the sex offender registry before he can file for termination.
Reger terminated Mittal’s community control.
“Mr. Mittal provides a very compelling statement why (the registration) should be terminated,” Reger said.
However, the law sets standards, and we have to abide by it, he said.
He gave Schuman seven days to show he has legal authority to terminate Mittal’s sexual offender registry.
