Attorney withdraws from case of man with multiple child sex charges

Aug. 5—The attorney for a Hamilton man accused of multiple child sex crimes, including rape, has withdrawn and the trial scheduled later this month has been cancelled.

Thomas Edward Philpot, 63, was indicted by a Butler County grand jury Feb. 2 on five counts of rape, nine counts of gross sexual imposition — all felonies — and one count of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, a misdemeanor.

According to the indictment, the alleged crimes occurred between December 2012 and March 2017. The rape charges allege the victim was under the age of 10. He faces a life sentence of convicted.

Philpot is housed in the Butler County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bond and his trial was scheduled to begin Aug. 22 in Butler County Common Pleas Court. At a hearing last week, Judge Michael Oster granted Philpot's attorney Monika Roth's request to withdraw from the case. Roth is a court-appointed public defender.

In the request, Roth said she was no longer able to represent Philpot and "professional considerations demand withdraw."

Oster also vacated Philpot's trial at last week's hearing.

A new attorney, who is not a member of the county public defender's office, will likely be appointed at a hearing scheduled for Monday.

At a May hearing for a bond reduction, Philpot was wheeled into the courtroom and he told the judge that two weeks before he was arrested, he had three surgeries scheduled in Dayton: a hip replacement, lower back and two hernia operations. He said the back surgery would allow him to walk again.

Oster declined to reduce bond.

Philpot was acquitted of sexual imposition and gross sexual imposition in 2010 in Butler County following a jury trial.

Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser said after that case more people came forward, and the investigation continued.

Staff Writer Rick McCrabb contributed to this report.