For more than a decade, Michael Carlton was a familiar and trusted face at The STAR in the East, a Messianic congregation on Martindale Road NE in Plain Township, near Canton. He served as an elder, and for the past six years, he taught Shabbat school. It’s the kind of role that puts an adult in regular, unsupervised contact with children and teenagers over many years. And it’s a position of trust and authority. That trust is now at the center of a criminal case. Court filings accuse Carlton of grooming and other misconduct involving three young people he knew through the congregation. The alleged conduct dates back to 2023, and is continuing into this year.

What the Charges Allege

Carlton faces multiple counts of grooming, along with sexual imposition, assault, and unlawful restraint. According to court filings, investigators allege a pattern of behavior directed at entering into inappropriate physical contact with the teenagers. This includes unwanted touching in a private setting and incidents in which a young person was physically restrained against his body. In at least one instance, this left visible marks. Some of the alleged conduct is described as having occurred at the congregation itself.

Because the charges involve minors, Ohio law treats the classification of several of these offenses as fact-specific. Grooming is charged under Ohio Revised Code § 2907.071, a law that took effect in April 2025 and criminalizes an adult’s pattern of conduct toward a minor under 16 intended to entice, coerce, or prepare that minor for sexual activity. Depending on the victim’s age and other circumstances, a grooming charge can be a second-degree misdemeanor or, if the victim is under 13 or was supplied alcohol or drugs, a fifth-degree felony. Sexual imposition, charged under Ohio Revised Code § 2907.06, and unlawful restraint, charged under Ohio Revised Code § 2905.03, are typically misdemeanors, though the assault charge and the overall alleged pattern can carry additional weight depending on how the case is ultimately presented in court. None of these classifications have been finally determined in this case, and the charges remain allegations that Carlton is presumed innocent of unless and until proven otherwise.

A Congregation Responds

Rabbi Michael J. Oyler, leader of The STAR in the East, addressed the charges directly this week. He described Carlton as a longtime, trusted member of the congregation and said that once Carlton’s conduct with several of the congregation’s young women was revealed to him, he met with Carlton within hours, removed him from the congregation, and filed a police report. Oyler said none of the reported incidents were suspected or witnessed at the congregation at the time they allegedly occurred, and said the mistreatment of children “can never be tolerated.” Rabbi Oyler also acknowledged that the emotional impact on the young people involved will likely remain long after the criminal case concludes.

That kind of response, prompt reporting once misconduct comes to light, is exactly what survivor advocates say every institution should do. It also tends to be a meaningful fact in any later civil case, since much of institutional liability turns on what leaders knew, when they knew it, and how quickly they acted once concerns surfaced.

Why Trusted-Adult Cases Cut So Deep

Angela Walker, executive director of SNAP Survivors Network, said cases involving trusted adults in religious settings carry an added weight because of how deeply families invest in those communities. “It’s an extraordinary betrayal when someone who should be in a position of trust is actually betraying that trust,” Walker said.

That betrayal is part of why these cases are so difficult for young victims to disclose in real time. A person who holds a respected role, teaching Shabbat school, serving as an elder, being present at family gatherings and services, is often the last person a family expects to pose a danger, and the same closeness that builds trust can make a young person reluctant to say anything at all.

What Happens Next in the Criminal Case

Carlton’s bond was set at $150,000 at arraignment, and he was ordered to have no contact with minors. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for September 15. As the criminal case moves forward, prosecutors will need to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, a process that is separate from any civil options the alleged victims and their families may have.

What Civil Options May Exist for the Families Involved

Ohio law gives survivors of childhood sexual abuse a separate path to accountability through a civil lawsuit, distinct from the criminal case against the accused. Under Ohio Revised Code § 2305.111, a survivor generally has until their 30th birthday, twelve years after reaching the age of majority, to file. Because the conduct alleged here is recent, beginning in 2023 and continuing into 2026, any civil claims arising from it would fall well within that window. Our article authored by Partner Ed Kelley on how Ohio’s Statute of Limitations Continues to Fail Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse walks through how that deadline works and why Ohio’s rules remain some of the least forgiving in the country for survivors who take longer to come forward.

A civil claim in a case like this can potentially reach two different categories of defendants. The first is the individual accused of the abuse. The second, where the facts support it, is the institution itself, if it can be shown that the organization was negligent in hiring, retaining, or supervising the person responsible, or if it failed to act on warning signs it knew or should have known about.

These two tracks, the criminal case and any potential civil case, run independently of each other. A criminal conviction is not required for a survivor to pursue civil damages, and a civil case can proceed even while a criminal case is ongoing, though the two often move on different timelines.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Grooming and Institutional Abuse Cases in Ohio

Q: What is grooming under Ohio law?

A: Grooming became a distinct criminal offense in Ohio in April 2025 under Ohio Revised Code § 2907.071. It applies when an adult engages in a pattern of conduct toward a minor under 16 that would cause a reasonable adult to believe the purpose is to entice, coerce, or prepare that minor for sexual activity. It does not require that a completed sexual offense occurred, it is the pattern of conduct itself is the crime.

Q: Can a survivor sue a church or religious organization, not just the individual accused of abuse?

A: Potentially, yes. Institutions, including churches, synagogues, and other religious congregations, can face civil liability if they are shown to have been negligent in hiring, retaining, or supervising a person who abused a minor, or if leadership knew or should have known about misconduct and failed to act. Whether that applies in any specific case depends heavily on what the organization actually knew and when.

Q: Does a survivor have to wait for the criminal case to finish before filing a civil lawsuit?

A: No. Civil and criminal cases are separate legal processes. A survivor generally does not need to wait for a criminal conviction to pursue a civil claim, though the two cases may run on different timelines and a civil action can sometimes be paused while a related criminal case is pending.

Q: How long do survivors in Ohio have to file a civil claim for childhood sexual abuse?

A: Under Ohio Revised Code § 2305.111, a survivor generally has twelve years from the date they reach the age of majority, meaning until their 30th birthday, to file a civil claim. Limited exceptions can extend that deadline in specific circumstances, such as fraudulent concealment by the defendant.

Q: What should a family do if they suspect a child has been groomed or abused by a trusted adult?

A: Report concerns to law enforcement first. Beyond that, an attorney experienced in childhood sexual abuse and institutional accountability cases can help a family understand what legal options exist, both against the individual involved and against any organization that may share responsibility, without requiring the family to navigate that process alone.

If you or your family have questions about a case involving grooming, abuse, or institutional failure to protect a child, Ohio Childhood Sexual Abuse Attorney can help you understand your rights. Our attorneys also represent survivors in Clergy Abuse Lawyers cases involving churches and religious institutions nationwide.