A Warren man has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old.

Zachary J. Dewees, 21, 122 N. Irvine St., was charged with a total of 18 counts by City of Warren police back in November for conduct that allegedly occurred between July 4 and Oct. 10.

According to information from the Warren County District Attorney’s Office, Dewees pleaded guilty to charges including statutory sexual assault, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and corruption of minors – all felonies.

He faces Tier III lifetime registration as a sexual offender and a sexually violent predator assessment will be completed prior to sentencing.

The investigation commenced, according to the affidavit of probable cause, when city police were asked to meet with the “Oil City Predators” group “as they were attempting to lure a child predator.”

A member of the group told police that the victim in this case contacted them after she was allegedly impregnated by Dewees.

The member of the predator group told police they had been “posing as a 15-year-old girl” and communicating “sexually” with her “and agreed to meet with her in person.”

According to the affidavit, police met with the mother and stepfather of the victim and were informed that they “recently had learned that their 15-year-old daughter … was impregnated by (Dewees)” and that she had been “hanging out” with Dewees since July.

Police spoke to Dewees who allegedly “informed officers that understands what he did is inappropriate, however he wants to be a father and help the victim.”

The victim was interviewed and allegedly disclosed that Dewees provided her with alcohol and marijuana and allegedly would then “coerce her into giving him or sex or would sexually assault her, resulting in pregnancy.”

She also told an interviewer that Dewees would “hold her down while sexually assaulting her” and told interviewers that Dewees allegedly told her “that he had sexual intercourse with her multiple times while (she was) unconscious.”

Charges not prosecuted in exchange for the plea include two counts of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, four counts of indecent assault, three counts of corruption of minors, two counts of unlawful contact or communication with a minor and possession with intent to deliver.

Online court records indicate that he remains behind bars on $75,000 bail.