A day before his jury trial was to begin, a Lawrence County man has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a minor, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced on Monday.

Eric Hanna, 44, of South Point, pleaded guilty today to one count of third-degree felony gross sexual imposition. 

He was indicted on the charge in May 2023 and the case was scheduled to be heard by a jury beginning on Tuesday.

An investigation by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office found that Hanna had sexual contact with a minor under the age of 13.

Hanna will be sentenced at 2 p.m. on March 11.

Attorneys with AG Yost’s Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case.