Cincinnati police are searching for a man accused of trying to lure children to his home in College Hill, in an investigation that dates back to early August. Investigators say the suspect approached children and attempted to draw them inside his residence, though no arrest has yet been made.
The case was first reported by FOX19, which noted that Cincinnati police are actively looking for the suspect tied to the attempted luring. Because College Hill's own District 5 headquarters closed in November 2023, the neighborhood's investigation now falls under Cincinnati Police District 3, according to WVXU, which reported on the department's consolidation from five districts down to four.
Key details remain unresolved. It is not yet known whether a vehicle was involved in the attempted luring, and police have not said whether they believe additional children may have been approached in the area.
Ohio's Enticement Law Sets a High Bar
Any eventual charges in the case would likely run into a legal hurdle that has shaped Ohio child enticement cases for over a decade. In March 2014, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in State v. Romage that the state's child enticement statute, Ohio Revised Code 2905.05, was unconstitutionally overbroad because it criminalized innocent conduct without requiring proof of intent to commit an unlawful act, according to Court News Ohio. That decision addressed the statute's overbreadth rather than establishing a specific prosecutorial proof requirement.
Lawmakers have since tried to close that gap. In June 2025, the Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 168 to reform the enticement statute by requiring proof of sexual motivation or unlawful purpose, classifying enticement with sexual motivation as a fifth-degree felony, per LegiScan. Ohio law sets penalties for the offense, with the applicable consequences depending on the circumstances.
A Neighborhood With Recent, Painful History
The College Hill case lands in a neighborhood still processing a string of child sex crime prosecutions. In July, a 32-year-old College Hill man was sentenced to 13 to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple child sex offenses, including rape and gross sexual imposition involving five victims under age 13, offenses that took place between 2019 and 2025, as Hoodline previously reported.
Just across the border in North College Hill, police arrested 20-year-old Davell Palmer, according to WLWT. And another Cincinnati case also involved child-solicitation charges.
Stranger Luring Is Rare, But Draws Fast Response
Cases like the one unfolding in College Hill can raise urgent safety concerns. The incident has prompted a search for the suspect and drawn attention to the risks children may face.
Local departments like Cincinnati's can seek additional resources in missing-children cases. Anyone with information about the College Hill suspect can submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers.
