Former teacher pleads guilty to lesser charge

TIFFIN ---- A former middle and high school teacher's court case on an alleged sexual battery charge has been pleaded down to importuning. Travis McQuistion, 34, pleaded guilty to a charge of importuning, a fifth-degree felony. According to a press release from the Seneca County Prosecutor's Office, importuning is defined as the crime of unlawfully soliciting sexual contact with a minor. The prosecutor's office and McQuistion's attorney reached a resolution to the case through this guilty plea. "The State has agreed to this resolution to avoid forcing the victim to participate in a criminal jury trial while also ensuring Mr. McQuistion is convicted of a felony sex offense," the press release read. "Under the resolution, Mr. McQuistion will be a Tier I registered sex offender for 15 years. A certified copy of the conviction will be transmitted to the Ohio State Board of Education. "It is our understanding that this conviction will be grounds for revoking the teaching license of Mr. McQuistion." "I would have preferred to get the conviction on the more serious offense but obtaining this result without forcing the victim to participate is appropriate," Seneca County Prosecutor Derek DeVine said in the press release. "I consulted with the investigating detective, and he agreed with this resolution. The conduct alleged was serious, but not nearly as heinous as previous cases involving students and teachers or coaches."