Youth therapist facing child sex and rape charges expected in court on Monday

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WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WXIX) – A West Chester therapist accused of 21 counts of raping boys over the course of years is due back in court Monday.

Michael Lesko, 33, is expected to appear before Butler County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Oster Jr. for a plea or trial at 9:30 a.m.

Lesko’s charges include seven counts of rape, six counts of gross sexual imposition and eight counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

The crimes he is accused of date back to April 2008, court records show.

Lesko befriended and sexually groomed victims while also working as a personal mentor and running a private counseling service out of his home on Cox Road, according to a township spokeswoman.

Because of the caregiving activities, the age of the victims and the trusted positions Lesko held, it is possible that there are other victims whose identities are unknown, she told FOX19 NOW last month.

Sexual assaults were also reported in Montgomery and Warren counties, according to the indictment.

Lesko used to work as a social services manager at UC Health but no longer works there, a UC spokesman said.

His LinkedIn account states that he was a social services manager from November 2020 to April 2024.

Lesko was arrested in Georgia and extradited to Butler County last month.

He has since been held in the Butler County Jail on $500,000 bail.

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