Not Guilty

TROY — A Piqua man who claimed he was mentoring (young) boys but was convicted of a sex offense was sentenced Wednesday to four years in prison by a Miami County judge who said the public needed to be protected from his behavior.


William T. Voris, 66, was sentenced in Common Pleas Court on a charge of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. He pleaded guilty in a plea deal in which two rape charges and one of corrupting another with drugs were dismissed.


Judge Stacy Wall said Voris opened his home to teen (boys) allowing them to play video games and smoke marijuana. The (boy) in the case in which Voris was convicted was 12 when he first met him and was involved in sexual conduct with him for two years before the (boy) disclosed the situation to a probation officer after the (boy) tested positive for methamphetamines.


Voris, who had been in jail 490 days before sentencing, said he had plenty of time to reflect. “I realized I really shouldn’t be around youth … I feel I probably am not a good influence and not strong enough to deal with their problems,” he told Wall.


Wall said Voris had no prior criminal record but blamed the victim, showed no remorse for his behavior and was likely to reoffend. He was given credit for time served in jail and designated a Tier II sex offender requiring him to register his address with the sheriff for 25 years after prison release.


“You are a risk to the public … The public needs to be protected from your behavior,” Wall said

William T. Voris of Miami County

As they say, there are two sides to every story. I realize that this case is never going to go away and I do agree that the public needs to be aware of what actually occurred and my behaviors. You see, I was there. But neither the judge or police were there. Therefore, my recollections represent best evidence. The criminal justice system is incredibly complex and the truth seems to have gotten lost in the process. So, what really happened the few years that I lived in Piqua? I lived at two different residences one was at 600 South Downing and the other at 525 Cottage Avenue. Teens started coming to my home based on a teen that I had known from birth. He would bring his friends to my home. Quickly they became accustomed to spending time in a relaxed environment. I never considered myself a mentor, or that I was ultimately responsible for their behaviors, as I didn't have custody of them. Most of these teenage males either, had no father, or a father that never cared or spent any time with them. As they got older they refused to listen to me. When I was working evenings, they would either let themselves in, or would break into my home. Often, I would find either cigarette butts or even a roach in my basement. I told them that this is not a party house and many times I tried to keep them from overwhelming my home. But by now all were older, larger and stronger than me. Note the sensationalism of the above press release, specifically, the over use of the word boy and the vagueness and lack of any details. 


In addition, note the inconsistency in the press release in that I never told any of these teens that I was gay, so how could there have been any sexual activity? That is because the above press release is a fabrication. I was never interviewed by the press and these comments… said he had plenty of time to reflect. “I realized I really shouldn’t be around youth … I feel I probably am not a good influence and not strong enough to deal with their problems,” he told Wall. I don't recall these statements. I tried to tell the court system what occurred, but they had no interest in the truth. They assumed that a gay man around teens had to be up to some nefarious intent.


So what happened is that this (above mentioned) teen started using methamphetamines. A few weeks before the two sexual incidents, my off and on partner told him that I was gay. Evidently this was the impetus for him to take his relationship with me to a different level. Exceptionally high on methamphetamines he came into my home after I was already in bed on August 18, 2019. He got in bed with me and said, “I’m going to F*** you and there is nothing you can do about it”. I didn’t like this aggressive side of him, but figured that if he gets it out of his system that should be the end of it. However, when he did the same thing a week later on August 25, 2019. I decided that this cannot and must not continue. I told his mother that I didn’t think that he should be around me. I didn’t tell her what he had done, as he was already in enough trouble. I told him that I didn’t think that we should be friends anymore. He became angry. A few days later he was arrested for drug abuse and confined in West Central’s juvenile facility.


As far as him disclosing things to a probation officer, once they realized that I was gay they started to feed his fears. Most everything that he told them was a fabrication. The psychologists that determined that I was sane even said that the circumstances, and timing of events, by my accuser was exculpatory, indicative that the case should be dismissed. Specifically, he was hoping that fabricating a drug and rape scenario might appease his captors. However, it didn’t work. And when they kept probing and frightening him he eventually clammed up and refused to even talk to them or be a witness against me. Therefore, the State of Ohio has no evidence, no confession and no witness that any crime was ever committed. 


I could not control my accuser's erratic behaviors. The lesson to be learned is that things are not always as they seem. Any situation involving sex can be twisted and misconstrued into an illegal scenario. After almost a year and half in county jail, with no chance of a fair trial, my attorney recommended a plea deal and that I appeal to have another judge review this case. So I wouldn’t place too much credence in this assessment of me.