WARREN — The 11th District Court of Appeals has upheld a Hartford man’s conviction on sex charges that involved three underage girls.
Elijah D. Peters, 21, formerly of Thompson Sharpsville Road, appealed a ruling he was competent to stand trial by Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge Ronald Rice.
Peters stated in the appeal the determination went against a “manifest weight of the evidence.”
In July, Peters pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact with a minor, two counts of gross sexual imposition and sending nude photos of himself to a third minor. Rice sentenced Peters to a prison term of 10 to 15 years.
Peters will continue serving his prison sentence at Belmont Correctional Institution, where he was sent following his September 2022 sentencing.
Testimony from Dr. Przemyslaw Kapalczynski, a staff psychiatrist at Heartland Behavioral Healthcare, who for more than four months treated Peters since his admission to the Massillon facility in December 2021, was cited by the appellate court.
The doctor told the court he believed Peters was competent enough to assist in his own defense throughout the trial, which included giving competent testimony.
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