A former Kent State University professor pleaded guilty Monday in Summit County Common Pleas Court to soliciting sex from a teenage boy last year.
Willie Harrell, 45, will be sentenced on a felony charge of importuning on Sept. 26. He faces up to a year in prison, but could face probation instead.
In addition, Harrell will be labeled a Tier I sex offender.
Harrell, who worked as an associate professor of English at Kent State until he was fired after his arrest, had attempted to meet the teenager in the parking lot of an elementary school after exchanging messages online.
Two days after his arrest, Harrell posted a $25,000 bond to get out of jail — and then he attempted to flee the country, according to court documents. He was caught by Canadian authorities as he tried to cross the border from Detroit into Ontario.