VERMILION — A Vermilion man previously charged in an investigation involving child sexual abuse material has pleaded guilty in Lorain County Common Pleas Court, more than a year after the case first drew public attention.
Matthew Rich pleaded guilty May 19, according to court records. Sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. June 22 before Judge Melissa Kobasher.
The plea marks the latest development in a case Vermilion Daily has followed since Rich’s arrest in 2025. The case later moved from Vermilion Municipal Court to Lorain County Common Pleas Court, where court records showed Rich was initially facing two second-degree felony counts and had been released on a $30,000 personal bond with house arrest and no-contact conditions.
Rich was later indicted May 15, 2025, on 14 counts, according to court records.
Guilty Plea Follows 14-Count Indictment
The charges included nine counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person and five counts of illegal use of a minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance.
Court records show Rich withdrew his former not guilty plea and entered a guilty plea to the indictment. The court accepted the plea and found him guilty, according to a journal entry filed May 19.
The plea paperwork notes that some counts are expected to merge for sentencing, meaning Rich pleaded guilty to the charges, but the court may not sentence him separately on every count.
The plea paperwork lists a potential maximum sentence of 20 to 24 years, though Rich has not yet been sentenced.
The paperwork also lists sex offender registration requirements. Count 1 is listed as a Tier 2 sex offense, requiring registration every 180 days for 25 years. Counts 2 through 14 are listed as Tier 1 sex offenses, requiring registration every 12 months for 15 years.
Court Records Show Bond Continued
Court records show Rich had been released from custody while the case moved through court.
When the case was transferred from Vermilion Municipal Court to Lorain County Common Pleas Court on April 1, 2025, the docket stated that bond was set at $30,000 personal bond and that the personal bond was posted by the defendant. The entry also listed no contact and house arrest as bond conditions.
A later entry stated that Rich was arraigned by waiver, entered a not guilty plea at that time and that bond was continued.
The May 19 journal entry states that bond continued after Rich’s guilty plea.
Sentencing Set for June
Rich had been scheduled for a jury trial May 19. Court records show the trial was canceled after the guilty plea was entered.
The case remains listed as undisposed because sentencing has not yet occurred.
Rich is scheduled to be sentenced June 22.
