MANSFIELD — A lieutenant employed by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction at Mansfield Correctional Institution and a second Mansfield resident have been charged with child endangering following a Mansfield Police Department investigation involving allegations that a juvenile child was physically abused.
According to Mansfield Municipal Court records, James W. Thew and Kelby L. McCuller were each charged on May 12, 2026, with one count of Child Endangering under Mansfield Codified Ordinance 537.07. The charges were filed in separate criminal cases that remain pending.
Thew, a lieutenant at Mansfield Correctional Institution, was charged in Case No. 2026CRB01064. McCuller was charged in Case No. 2026CRB01065. Court records show both cases originated from Mansfield Police Department incident report number 26-11979.
Records from Mansfield Correctional Institution show Thew was arrested by Mansfield Police on May 12, 2026. Following the arrest, prison officials documented the incident through internal reports and later placed Thew on paid administrative leave effective May 26, 2026, pending further notice.
Personnel records reviewed by Appleseed News show Thew was disciplined on multiple occasions during his employment with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. According to department records, the disciplinary actions involved workplace conduct issues, including interactions with co-workers and incidents in which he left his assigned post without authorization and unattended. Thew seems to display his anger by speaking “loudly” at other employees and slamming doors.
A Mansfield Police incident report identifies both Thew and McCuller as offenders in an investigation classified as “Endangering Children – Abuse.”
According to the police report, investigators documented allegations that a juvenile child reported being struck on multiple occasions. Those allegations were recorded as part of the criminal investigation.
Court records show both defendants entered not guilty pleas through counsel. The court ordered each defendant to have no contact with the alleged victim and to comply with all recommendations of Children’s Services while the cases are pending.
Pre-trial hearings for both defendants are scheduled for July 1, 2026, and bench trials are scheduled for Aug. 4, 2026, in Mansfield Municipal Court.
The allegations contained in police reports and criminal complaints are accusations. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
