Former Catholic Foundation executive charged with child sex crimes
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A former executive for The Catholic Foundation was arrested and charged Thursday for alleged online sexual abuse of a minor, according to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.
FCSO said 49-year-old Scott Hartman is charged with grooming, pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor and pandering obscenity involving a minor after an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
According to the sheriff's office, the investigation started in April after a teenager reported to school counselors that she had an online relationship with Hartman, which included text messages and video calls involving video sex acts and the exchange of nude images and videos.
The relationship reportedly lasted for six months.
ICAC found that Hartman attempted to meet with the teen in person with the intent to engage in sex acts, FCSO said. He also reportedly convinced the teen to delete any evidence and attempted to hide the fact that she was a minor.
The sheriff's office said Hartman confessed to the allegations when he was arrested.
Hartman was the senior vice president and chief development officer of the Catholic Foundation, a charitable and investment foundation that supports Catholic causes throughout the 23-county Diocese of Columbus.
According to a spokesperson for the Diocese of Columbus, Hartman was terminated from his position immediately.
"The Catholic Foundation takes the allegations seriously and is working in full cooperation with law enforcement. The Catholic Foundation, a foundation of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus, holds its employees to a high standard of conduct with regular and thorough background verification processes. Any violation, whether alleged or credible, is met with a swift response," the statement reads.
Additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues.
Hartman was arraigned on the charges Friday and his bond was set at $225,000.
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