Psychologist Bobbie Hopes has completed that evaluation and the content will be used in mitigation, according to Pagan.
“It will say he (Blankenburg) is not a pedophile,” Pagan said, “and that he is a low risk for recidivism.”
Pagan said Hopes will testify during the sentencing hearing.
Butler County Prosecutor Robin Piper said Blankenburg faces more than 100 years in prison if he receives the maximum, consecutive sentences for the 22 felony counts.
Blankenburg was convicted by a jury in October of 16 sex charges involving three former patients. The victims, now adult men, said they were molested as teens by Blankenburg, and that he paid them in cash and prescription drugs for years to keep quiet.
The 53-year-old doctor waived his right to a jury trial on 25 charges — including drug trafficking, corrupting another with drugs, money laundering, bribery and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity — and left that decision to Spaeth, who found him guilty of six of the 25 charges.
His twin brother, Fairfield pediatrician Dr. R. Scott Blankenburg, is scheduled to stand trial in April on similar charges before Judge Noah Powers.
Blankenburg, 53, was arrested Friday, Dec. 4, after a Butler County grand jury handed down an additional indictment on three counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, bribery, complicity to deception to obtain dangerous drugs and complicity to possession of heroin. He was free on bond at the time of the second indictment.
Mark Blankenburg is scheduled to stand trial in May on 12 charges involving child pornography that were severed from the original indictment.
These same charges are also part of his brother’s indictment.
Jack Garretson, a Blankenburg attorney, maintains all the models pictured in the alleged child pornography found at the Blankenburg’s home by police are 18 or older, thus the images are not child pornography.
Piper said Wednesday that the sentence Mark Blankenburg receives could affect the May trial.
“If Mark Blankenburg were to receive a lengthy sentence and we could assure community safety, we would consider the time and expense of an additional trial,” Piper said. “An additional trial might become unnecessary.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2168 or lpack@coxohio.com.
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