Staff Report

TROY — Kevin Wright, the former West Milton police officer sentenced to 30 years to life in prison following a conviction for rape of a child under age 13, is appealing the conviction and sentence to Ohio’s 2nd District Court of Appeals.

The appeal was filed late last week by Wright’s new lawyer, Stephen E. Palmer of Columbus

Wright, 34, of West Milton was convicted on April 30 of three counts of first-degree felony rape by a Miami County Common Pleas Court jury. He subsequently was sentenced by Judge Stacy Wall to 10 years to life in prison on each of the three counts. Wall ordered him to serve the sentences consecutively. A request by Palmer for an appeal bond was denied by Wall.

Wright was accused of engaging in sexual conduct with a girl between August 2017 and December 2019. The girl testified the conduct occurred on numerous occasions during that time. The jury was told a comment by the girl to a friend led to a report to school officials and an investigation by Miami County sheriff’s detectives. The girl told the jury she didn’t come forward because she thought no one would believe her instead of a police officer.

In the appeal notice, Palmer wrote the appeal will include challenges of sufficiency and manifest weight of evidence and other possible issues.