Ex-Hamilton County Judge Held Without Bond in Clermont Jail Sex Scandal

A former Hamilton County judge is being held without bond at the Clermont County Jail after investigators say he used his law license to arrange a private visit with an inmate — then admitted the two had sex behind bars. James Kenney, now a practicing attorney, was taken into custody Monday and faces charges of solicitation, obstructing official business, and engaging in prostitution.

The case began after jail corrections staff observed multiple inmates passing contraband during recreation time on August 15, according to the Clermont County Sheriff's Office, as reported by WCPO 9 News. That discovery set off a broader investigation that eventually led detectives to Kenney's cellphone and, ultimately, to his arrest more than a week later.

Detectives reviewed inmate phone records and identified communications between Kenney and an inmate that included conversations of a sexual nature, per the sheriff's office. Those communications raised concerns about a contact visit between Kenney and the inmate, prompting investigators to obtain a search warrant for his phone. On August 4, according to the sheriff's office, Kenney confirmed that he and the inmate had engaged in sexual activity during that contact visit.

Credentials Used to Bypass Visitation Rules

Under Ohio's jail administrative rules, attorneys are guaranteed confidential contact visits with clients of record — a privilege meant to preserve constitutional access to counsel. Investigators determined that the inmate was Kenney's personal associate, not his client, and reported that he used his professional credentials to gain access to someone he was not representing. Kenney has admitted to using those credentials to obtain the contact visit, the sheriff's office said.

That alleged misrepresentation carries consequences well beyond the criminal case. Ohio's Rules of Professional Conduct hold that committing an illegal act reflecting adversely on honesty, or engaging in conduct involving deceit, constitutes professional misconduct — exposure that could put Kenney's law license itself at risk regardless of how the criminal charges resolve.

Jail-Wide Search Turns Up Tobacco

Once the alleged scheme surfaced, the sheriff's office searched every cell in the affected housing block and deployed two jail canines to sweep the entire facility. Those searches turned up tobacco products, which are prohibited inside the jail. Detectives also interviewed numerous inmates as part of the widening probe.

Kenney faces one count each of solicitation, obstructing official business, and engaging in prostitution — all misdemeanors under Ohio law. Solicitation is a third-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine under Ohio Revised Code Section 2907.24, while engaging in prostitution is a first-degree misdemeanor carrying up to 180 days, and obstructing official business is a second-degree misdemeanor carrying up to 90 days under the state's misdemeanor sentencing statute.

Separately, Ohio law makes it illegal to knowingly convey prohibited items — including tobacco — onto detention facility grounds or to an inmate, a statute that could factor into whether additional charges follow as the investigation continues. The sheriff's office says the investigation remains active and that additional subjects are expected to be charged.

Former Prosecutor, Former Judge

Kenney is a former assistant prosecutor and a former Hamilton County judge who now works as an attorney. He ran as a Democratic candidate for Hamilton County Municipal Court judge in 2001, campaigning as a defense-oriented candidate outside the prosecutor's office network, according to Cincinnati CityBeat. Appellate records from the Supreme Court of Ohio show he has since practiced as a criminal defense attorney in Hamilton County, representing defendants in cases including State v. Searles.

Kenney was transported to the Clermont County Jail — the same facility, located at 4700 East Filager Road in Batavia and operated under Sheriff Robert S. Leahy, that recently held three suspects from a Batavia Township road-rage shooting and SWAT standoff detailed in Hoodline's earlier coverage. He is being held with no bond and is scheduled to appear before Judge Katherine Terpstra at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Several questions remain open as detectives continue their work. It is not yet clear whether the ongoing investigation will produce felony contraband charges, whether other inmates or accomplices will be charged, or whether a formal grievance will be filed with Ohio's Disciplinary Counsel over Kenney's law license.