YOUNGSTOWN — A county judge has found a man guilty of rape and related sexual offenses involving a minor.

Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony Donofrio issued his ruling Friday in the bench trial of Leonard Sykes, 51, of Youngstown, finding Sykes guilty on three counts of rape, all first-degree felonies commanding a life sentence; importuning, a third-degree felony; and disseminating material harmful to a juvenile, a fourth-degree felony.

Despite the victim recanting her accusations in open court last week, Donofrio’s ruling states that he found sufficient evidence that Sykes engaged in all manner of sexual activity with the girl between August and September of 2022, when she was 12.

Donofrio found that Sykes did also solicit sex from the girl through text messages (importuning) and sent nude photographs of his body to her via text.

Donofrio noted that the girl appeared to have recanted statements she made to five separate people disclosing the sexual activity with Sykes because she felt pressured by other people to not let him go to jail.

Donofrio noted that the girl seemed to feel she had to engage in sexual activity, messaging and other activities with Sykes, because she was homeless and needed a place to stay.

The record also shows that the girl gave a complete interview with a social worker at the Child Advocacy Center at Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley, where she disclosed in great detail the sexual acts committed with Sykes.