DaytonDailyNews.com

TROY — A Shelby County man accused of improperly touching a 10-year-old boy at a church-sponsored youth program will be allowed to plead to a misdemeanor under a deal reached with prosecutors.

Seth Glazier, 25, of rural Houston was scheduled to go on trial Tuesday, Jan. 13, in Miami County Common Pleas Court on a felony count of gross sexual imposition. Instead, the felony will be dismissed and a misdemeanor of sexual imposition filed in county Municipal Court.

Glazier was accused of inappropriately touching the boy in 2006 at a program in Troy sponsored by Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church. A former seminary student, Glazier was a program volunteer.

Jim Bennett, first assistant county prosecutor, said there was difficulty pinpointing the date when the alleged incident occurred. That presented problems because the law regarding the gross sexual imposition charge, and the possible penalty, changed in 2006.

"The case ended up in such a posture as to make it very difficult to proceed to trial with the information that we had," Bennett said. "This was a fair resolution for both sides."

Defense lawyer Andrew Pratt said Glazier will plead to the misdemeanor charge, but a hearing date has not been set.

"He is satisfied with the significant reduction from a felony to a misdemeanor. He is looking forward to moving on with his life," Pratt said.

Jurors were seated to hear the felony charge against Glazier in October, only to be sent home when a mistrial was declared by Judge Robert Lindeman.

The mistrial came after prosecutors learned just before testimony was to begin that a witness subpoenaed to testify had notes of a talk she had with the alleged victim, but had not told lawyers those notes existed.

Those records contained "important and critical information in the case," Bennett said in a case-related document filed earlier this month.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2292 or nbowman@DaytonDailyNews.com.