Piqua man sentenced for school threats
He gets year for false alarms, obscenity involving minor.
A Piqua man who TROY — threatened to “shoot up” a Piqua school where his 14-year-old girlfriend allegedly was bullied was sentenced Monday to one year in prison after telling a Miami County judge he was frustrated and regrets “I did not take the higher road.”
William Ingle, 22, pleaded not guilty in early August to making false alarms in the alleged May 22 threat on Piqua Junior High School.
Police Chief Bruce Jamison said police received a call that Ingle made threats including “shooting up” a school, using explosives and referring to other school shootings as “amateurs.” The threats were made in comments to co-workers.
Ingle subsequently was charged with the additional felony involving the girl and photos on a phone.
He pleaded guilty in November to felony making false alarms and pandering obscenity involving a minor.
On Monday, Ingle told Judge Christopher Gee he suffered “a lapse in my judgment.”
“I had no plan ... No weapon,” he said, adding he didn’t intend any harm to the girl.
Defense lawyer Steve Layman said Ingle had no prior criminal record.
Janna Parker, an assistant county prosecutor, said Ingle’s comments alarmed co-workers enough they called police. Such behavior “instills fear in the public, in parents ... and in students,” she said.
Gee said the type of threat uttered by Ingle is “the most serious threat that could be made” in today’s world.
“It wasn’t an offhand comment . ... In this day and age, it doesn’t take much for someone who might be upset to carry out a threat. There was a great deal of concern,” Gee said.
The judge said the offense involving the young girl also caused psychological harm to her.
He sentenced Ingle to one year in prison on each charge and to serve the sentences concurrently. Ingle was given credit for 210 days served in jail.
He also was classified as a Tier II sex offender. The designation will require him to register and then verify his address with the sheriff ’s office in the county where he lives, works or attends school, after prison release, every 180 days for 25 years.