Former Columbus pastor Dominic Foor will spend the next 15 years in prison after admitting to sexually abusing two minors who had been living in his home. On Friday, Pickaway County Common Pleas Judge Matthew Chafin handed down the maximum sentence allowed under Foor's plea deal and ordered him to register as a Tier III sex offender for life. Court records show the victims were teenagers with a familial connection to Foor, officials said.
The case wrapped up in Pickaway County, where Foor pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual battery and received a $5,000 fine along with the prison term, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The outlet reports that Judge Chafin called the crimes a profound breach of trust and rejected Foor's request for leniency.
Case background
The criminal case began after a Pickaway County grand jury returned a 23-count indictment in June 2025 that included multiple sexual battery, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and importuning charges, as reported by WOSU. Court filings cited in that coverage state that some of the conduct occurred between November 2022 and 2024 and involved two young people who moved into Foor's home after a relative died.
From the bench
During sentencing, Judge Chafin acknowledged that Foor had done some good in the community but made clear that it did not outweigh the harm. “You have done some good for the community... Your self-gratification does not impress me,” he told Foor, according to Scioto Post. The outlet notes the 15-year term was the maximum available under the plea, and prosecutors argued Foor abused a position of trust.
Legal consequences
Because Foor was classified as a Tier III sex offender, he must report in person every 90 days for life to verify his address and may be subject to community notification and residency limits near schools and day care centers, according to the Ashland County Sheriff's Office. The prison terms and $5,000 fine align with the penalties for sexual battery involving minors under Ohio law, The Botnick Law Firm explains.
What's next
After Foor entered his guilty plea, his bond was revoked, and a presentence investigation will guide final recommendations before any transfer to state custody, court coverage shows. Prosecutors said the outcome reflects both the seriousness of the offenses and the breach of trust involved. No additional information about the victims has been released in order to protect their identities, local reporting notes.
