Whitehall police released documents Wednesday they say show there is enough evidence to take a child sex abuse case against Whitehall City Councilmember Gerald Dixon to a grand jury.
In September, Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor said she wouldn't pursue the charges against Dixon, citing a lack of evidence.
The Whitehall police documents include portions of interviews with alleged victims. The documents also include journal entries police found at Dixon's home that indicated his attraction to underage boys. Dixon has never denied the allegations.
The summary by Whitehall Police Chief Mike Crispen said that Favor's decision not to take the investigation to the grand jury has led many to question to authenticity of the investigation.
Crispen wrote that an investigator traveled to six Ohio cities and two states, interviewed 37 people, executed 40 search warrants and examined 20 personal journals.
"Based on decades of experience, we stand behind the assertion that this case would have been indicted had it been presented to a Grand Jury," Crispen wrote. "We respect the position of the Prosecutor to make a tougher decision about the ability to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt."
Whitehall police arrested Dixon in December 2025. Dixon was accused of sexually abusing multiple boys going back to 1996.
The charges were later dropped, but Crispen said he would pursue a grand jury indictment because there was significant evidence to support the charges.
In response to Whitehall police, the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office issued a statement Wednesday afternoon:
“We value our partnership with the Whitehall Police Department and remain committed to working collaboratively and transparently to ensure that cases brought forward are supported by evidence that meets legal requirements.
"After a thorough review of the evidence submitted by Whitehall PD regarding Mr. Gerald Dixon, we determined not to move forward with a presentation to the Grand Jury at that time. The decision was reached carefully and deliberately, following multiple meetings in which all parties fully evaluated and discussed the evidentiary issues.
"Protecting the integrity of our cases and ensuring a fair judicial process must remain our top priority. For this reason, we are limited in what we can share. Should any additional information or evidence become available from Whitehall PD, we will re-review the case at that time.”
WOSU has also contacted Dixon's attorney Mark Collins for comment.
