A Portage County corrections officer originally indicted with two felony counts of sexual extortion is now out of a job.
A Portage County grand jury on March 5, 2026, handed down two charges against PCSO employee Austin P. Wilson of extortion (a third-degree felony) and nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images (a fifth-degree felony).
He pleaded guilty April 28 to a single first-degree misdemeanor charge of telecommunication harassment.
The original indictment was rooted in a Feb. 25 complaint PCSO Captain Robert James filed with the court in which he stated that “Wilson threatened to release the private images of another in order to compel this other person to send additional private images.”
James alleged that the incident took place Feb. 23 at the Portage County Justice Center. The PCSO indicated in a news release that it learned of the matter on Feb. 24. Court records associated with Wilson’s case do not indicate if the victim was a jail inmate or a co-worker.
In a May 29 Facebook post, the PCSO posted that Wilson’s employment had been terminated the previous day, effective immediately.
“Following the completion of the administrative investigation and a pre-disciplinary conference held on May 27, 2026, it was determined that Wilson violated multiple agency policies and standards of conduct. The investigation substantiated allegations involving Conduct Unbecoming an Officer, along with other departmental policy violations,” the post stated.
It also noted that criminal proceedings against Wilson "remain ongoing and have not yet reached a final disposition.” That said, “the findings of the administrative investigation clearly warranted termination of employment.”
Hank T. Gibson-Lampley, Portage County’s chief probation officer, confirmed that Wilson’s sentencing is set for June 16.