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MIDDLETOWN — A 46-year-old Middletown man, who is a bank vice president, pleaded no contest this morning, April 3, to misdemeanor charges for having an inappropriate relationship with a teenage girl he met through his church in Fairfield Twp., according to police.

Jeffrey Sempsrott of Karen Drive entered the plea to two counts of sexual imposition, a third-degree misdemeanor, and was found guilty by Visiting Middletown Municipal Court Judge Patrick Binns who ordered a pre-sentence investigation and scheduled the sentencing for May 1. Sempsrott could received a maximum sentence of 120 days in jail.

Defense attorney Chris Atkins said Sempsrott, who is married with children, has no previous criminal record. Atkins declined further comment until after Sempsrott is sentenced.

Steve Foster, president of Lebanon Citizens National Bank, said Friday that Sempsrott is on paid leave from his position pending the outcome of the case. He said the board would be discussing the latest development of the case at its weekly meeting.

Sempsrott was arrested last month following an investigation that began Feb. 24 when a 14-year-old girl told her parents about the alleged crimes, and a pastor called police.

Middletown Juvenile Detective Fred Shuemake said the girl told officers the contact with Sempsrott began in October 2008. The girl's family and the Sempsrott family became friends through attendance at First Church of God, 3100 Princeton Road.

The girl told detectives it was during the time spent at the Sempsrott home in November when her parents were out of town that the activity became sexual in nature, and that he had fondled the girl's chest.

Sempsrott was confronted with the allegations by Shuemake and Juvenile Detective Janice Jones on Feb. 26 at Lebanon Citizens National Bank in Lebanon. He was booked into the Middletown City Jail on Monday, March 2, and released on his own recognizance.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2168 or lpack@coxohio.com.