Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, July 13, 2026
Zanesville Man Sentenced for Sexual Assault of a Minor
(ZANESVILLE, OH)
On June 1, 2026, Christopher A. Riggs, 42, of Zanesville, appeared in the Muskingum Court of Common Pleas to be sentenced for charges that stem from Riggs sexually assaulting a minor.
Riggs pled guilty to the following: two counts of Voyeurism, each a 3rd degree misdemeanor and Gross Sexual Imposition, a 4th degree felony.
Judge Kelly Cottrill sentenced Riggs to a total of 17 months out of possible maximum of 18 months under Ohio law. Riggs is also required to register as a tier 1 sex offender. As a tier 1 sex offender Riggs is required to register with the Sheriff’s office annually for 15 years upon his release from prison.
Riggs has been a pastor since 2008 and has since resigned from his pastoral duties.
Details of the Case:
A minor victim disclosed the defendant had touched the victim in a sexual manner. Detective Randy Wilson investigated the case and during questioning the defendant confessed to both watching and touching the minor victim.
The first incident took place in 2023 when the victim was 13 years old. Riggs admitted to Detective Wilson that he looked through a bathroom window to view the victim entirely nude.
The second incident took place weeks later wherein Riggs admitted to touching the victim over the victim’s clothes for purposes of sexual gratification.
The third incident took place in 2025 when Riggs again peeped through a window to watch the naked child.
Riggs admitted to “having feelings of sexual curiosity” and admitted that he was sexually aroused at what he saw. He further explained to Detective Randy Wilson that the crimes he committed were motivated by lust.
In an attempt to determine if there were other victims, the investigation found that at the time of the crimes, the victim was not a member of the church where Riggs served as a pastor.
“Every case involving abuse of a child is terrible, but the laws of Ohio determine how serious the offense is and what the punishments are for those crimes,” said Prosecutor Welch. “Following those guidelines, we were able to obtain a significant sentence that removes this offender from our community for at least some time and provides notice to others of his crimes.”
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