Man gets probation for fondling women’s hair

A man who approached women in central Ohio stores and fondled their hair after asking for directions was placed on probation Friday for one year and fined $200.

Jeffrey S. Wiford, 50, of New Madison in western Ohio, pleaded guilty in December to misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges for each of five incidents that occurred last year — four on the same day.

Franklin County Municipal Court Judge David B. Tyack imposed the sentence and said Wiford could go to jail for 30 days on each case if he violates probation.

Wiford declined to make a statement in court.

His tactic was the same in each incident, according to court documents filed by police. He would approach a woman who was shopping alone and ask for directions, usually to a nearby business. As they spoke, Wiford would tell the woman she had a bug in her hair and begin running his hands through her hair. In some cases, he also grabbed a victim’s head, face or shoulders. One woman told police that he grabbed and massaged both of her ears.

Wiford pleaded guilty to incidents that occurred on June 22, 2018, at a Lowe’s on the West Side, and on Oct. 22, 2018, at a Target in Hilliard, a Target on the Far West Side, the JC Penney at Tuttle Crossing Mall and an Ulta Beauty on the North Side.

Investigators were unable to identify him until a Columbus police detective learned that police in Muncie, Indiana, were investigating similar cases with Wiford as a suspect. When the detective contacted Wiford by phone, he admitted to the offenses, according to court documents.

Defense attorney Wesley Freeman said his client has been undergoing counseling for anxiety and depression and has not repeated the problem behavior since he was charged in November.

None of the victims attended the hearing. Joe Gibson, deputy chief prosecutor for Columbus, said the women “don’t want to face this man again.”