A Hamilton County grand jury indicted Steven Barton, the Aiken New Tech High School assistant principal, on six new counts of sexual battery involving four more students.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich announced the charges Thursday, Oct. 8. The grand jury also returned two counts of grooming against Barton, 43. The alleged crimes span from April 2025 to April 2026, according to the prosecutor's office.
Two of the newly identified alleged victims were 15 years old and two were 17 at the time of the alleged conduct, as first reported by WLWT.
Barton already faced five felony counts of sexual battery and one misdemeanor count of grooming from a Sept. 4 indictment tied to a 16-year-old student, according to court records cited by the Cincinnati Enquirer. That case began when Barton was booked into the Hamilton County Justice Center on Aug. 28 after security camera footage showed him inappropriately touching the student, according to court records cited by the Enquirer.
With the new indictment, Barton faces 11 felony counts of sexual battery and three counts of grooming across five alleged victims.
Prosecutors allege Barton used school records to identify which classes students attended, then pulled them out of class and took them to private locations. He is also accused of taking some students shopping, driving them to and from school and sending them money through Cash App, according to the prosecutor's office.
"Barton exploited his position of authority," Pillich said. "Students should be able to walk into their school knowing that the adults entrusted with their care will protect them."
Cincinnati Public Schools called the new allegations deeply troubling in an Oct. 8 statement. The district said Superintendent Shauna Murphy suspended Barton without pay effective Aug. 27, and his termination is pending.
CPS said Barton has not returned to Aiken New Tech High School or had access to students since his arrest.
At Barton's Aug. 28 arraignment, Cincinnati Police Detective Soren Koch-Hutchinson warned that more victims could emerge and asked them to contact the Cincinnati Police Department, as reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer. Barton posted a $75,000 bond after that appearance.
A next court date for the new charges has not been publicly announced.
