Cincinnati man gets life in prison for grooming, raping Elyria girl, 12

ELYRIA — Joshua Telford held his head in his hands and sobbed as he was sentenced Monday to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 32 years for grooming, then raping, a 12-year-old girl in 2025. Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Melissa Kobasher handed down the sentence against the 36-year-old Cincinnati man who, twice in 2025, traveled nearly 250 miles to rape a girl one-third his age after grooming her for months. Telford, 36, pleaded guilty in September to 17 criminal charges. Fourteen were felonies including rape, pandering sexually oriented material, pandering obscenity, tampering with evidence, disseminating matter harmful to juveniles and grooming, and three were misdemeanor criminal child enticement charges. Telford is now a Tier III sex offender and has to register as one for the rest of his life. He received credit for 250 days served in the Lorain County Jail awaiting trial. If ever released from prison, he will be on post-release control — formerly called parole — for a mandatory 5 years. Telford rocked back and forth, held his head down and sobbed throughout the sentencing hearing. "I full accept responsibility and again, I am sorry," he said in prepared statement he read in court. Defense attorney Eric Long said his client's behavior was "abhorrent." He said Telford never tried to diminish his crimes or make excuses for them, and asked Kobasher to impose the minimum prison term of life with parole eligibility after 10 years. Long said Telford expressed his "deepest apologies" to the victim's family for the "pain and anguish" he put them through. The Lorain County Prosecutor's Office said Telford traveled to Elyria at least twice in 2025 to rape the victim. He had started grooming her sexually after messaging her on the social media platform TikTok when she was 11, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Chris Pierre said. Pierre said the messages got sexual in about 5 months. The age of consent for sexual activity in Ohio is 16. The two exchanged 14,767 messages and shared 1,057 media files, including images of Telford's genitals, Pierre said. When the girl's grades and behavior suffered, her parents took away her electronics. When they looked on the devices, they discovered the crimes "and that was the Pandora's box that was opened," Pierre said. The Chronicle-Telegram does not identify sexual assault victims. The victim's father said in court that his family's life has not been the same since. They have dealt with anger, lost sleep, fear, vigilance and doubt and a lost sense of safety, he said. "We are hurt because our child deserved better," the victim's father said. "No family should ever have to sit in this courtroom and endure the nightmare we have had to." Contact Dave O'Brien at 440-329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. HELP IS AVAILABLE For sexual assault and abuse crisis services in Lorain County, call or text 988 or call Riveon Sexual Assault Services at 440-204-4359.