Whitehall Police still haven't refiled charges against city councilmember Gerald Dixon, after claiming nearly two months ago to have significant evidence against him.
Dixon is accused of sexually abusing multiple underage boys dating back to 1996. Charges against him were dropped by the Franklin County Municipal Court, but are expected to be refiled in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, which handles felony cases like this.
Whitehall Police arrested Dixon in December and Police Chief Mike Crispen held a press conference where he laid out the allegations against Dixon. The press conference happened the day before Dixon was set to be sworn in to a new term on city council.
Crispen didn't respond to repeated requests for comment.
The Franklin County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement Whitehall Police are still investigating Dixon and the county prosecutor's office will determine future action once that is complete.
Spokesperson Nya Hairston said in an email the prosecutor's office has received some investigatory materials, but have not received the full results of the investigation.
Dixon's defense attorneys Mark Collins and Kaitlyn Stephens criticized Whitehall Police in a statement for speaking prematurely and compromising the integrity of the investigation and Dixon's presumption of innocence.
"Public statements made by Chief Crispen regarding an ongoing investigation raise serious concerns about the integrity of the investigative process, apparent agenda behind those disclosures and, above all, Mr. Dixon’s right to due process," the statement said.
Collins and Stephens called on police department leadership to refrain from further public disclosures, to respect due process and allow the investigation to proceed without interference.
Multiple efforts by members of Whitehall City Council to remove Dixon have failed. A new resolution to remove him was tabled at a Tuesday meeting.
Dixon's arrest followed more than a year of conflict between the Whitehall Police Department and the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge #9. Dixon sided with the union and wanted to conduct an investigation into the police department, which other city councilmembers didn't support.
