Youth therapist facing child sex and rape charges extradited to Butler County after Georgia arrest

hio (WXIX) - A West Chester therapist who was recently charged in a 21-count indictment with raping boys for years is back in Greater Cincinnati after being arrested in Georgia last month and will face a judge this week.

Michael Lesko, 33, was booked into the Butler County Jail on Sunday.

He is scheduled to appear at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday before Butler County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Oster Jr.

Lesko's indictment involves seven counts of rape, six counts of gross sexual imposition and eight counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

The crimes he is accused of date back to April 2008, court records show.

Lesko befriended and sexually groomed the victims while he also worked as a personal mentor and owned a privately run counseling service out of his home on Cox Road, according to a township spokeswoman spokeswoman.

Due to the grooming activity, ages of the victims and the trusted positions Lesko held, it is possible that there are other victims that have not been identified, she told FOX19 NOW last month.

Sexual abuse also was reported in Montgomery and Warren counties, his indictment shows.

Lesko used to be a manager of social services at UC Health, but is no longer employed there, a UC spokesperson said.

His LinkedIn account says he was the social services manager from November 2020 to April 2024.