River Valley cheerleading coach, substitute teacher convicted on four felony charges

GALLIA COUNTY — After several months of hard work by criminal investigators and two special prosecutors, Gallia County resident Michal Paige Huck, formerly a cheerleading coach and substitute teacher at River Valley High School in Gallia County, today pleaded guilty to two counts of Unlawful Sexual Conduct with a Minor and two counts of Sexual Battery.

One of the victims with whom Ms. Huck had sex was 13 years old, one was 15, and the other two were 17. They were former students at Gallia County Local Schools who were involved with the wrestling team that was coached by Ms. Huck’s former husband Matthew Huck, who is awaiting trial on a related felony case.

“Adults having sex with children is evil, sick, and a serious crime,” Special Prosecutor Mark R. Weaver said after the hearing where Ms. Huck pled guilty in return for two other charges being dismissed. “Many people in Gallia County wondered when justice would be done in this case — that day is here.”

The attorney representing Ms. Huck and the special prosecutors are jointly recommending to Gallia County Court Judge Margaret Evans a ten year prison sentence for Ms. Huck, with four 30 month terms assigned consecutively for each of the victims.

“It’s important to us that Ms. Huck serve a specified sentence for each of these four victims,” Special Prosecutor David Kelley said. “These boys — who are now young men — courageously came forward and told us what happened and now there will be no need for them to recount the lurid details in a trial.”

“We want to thank Gallia County Sheriff Matt Champlin’s office — as well as Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation — for their diligent and dedicated work on this important matter,” Weaver concluded. “These law enforcement professionals meticulously prepared the details of the investigation, which helped bring about today’s result.”

Kelley agreed, noting, “as prosecutors, we really count on our investigators to ferret out the truth and that’s precisely what these dedicated detectives did.”

The period of the crimes ranges from 2003 to 2016. All are felonies of the third degree. The final sentencing decision will be made by Judge Evans on an upcoming sentencing date. On that day, as set out in the Ohio Constitution and state law, the victims will have the right to offer statements about how this case has affected them.

Kelley spent nearly three decades as the Adams County Prosecuting Attorney and as an Assistant Prosecutor in other Ohio counties. Weaver was the Deputy Attorney General of Ohio and has served as a special prosecutor in a dozen Ohio counties, including numerous child sex cases and two death penalty prosecutions. He is currently a part-time Assistant Prosecutor in Marion County.