BRIGHTON – A man from Brighton pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, to reckless conduct causing great bodily harm in a Jersey County case involving a child victim.
Mitch Diestelhorst, 30, of Brighton, pleaded guilty to a Class 4 felony count of reckless conduct/great bodily harm in Jersey County court. As part of his plea deal, a Class 3 felony count of aggravated battery of a child under the age of 13 was dismissed.
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Diestelhorst was sentenced to 24 months of conditional discharge and ordered to pay a total fine of $849 in full by April 26, 2028.
The aggravated battery charge against Diestelhorst was originally filed on Oct. 29, 2025, and alleged he knowingly caused bodily harm to a child under the age of 13, causing “multiple brain injuries and ear bruising,” according to charging documents.
The reckless conduct charge was filed on Oct. 6, 2026, the same day Diestelhorst entered his guilty plea, and states he “performed an act that caused bodily harm to another” on Oct. 29, 2025.
A jury trial originally scheduled for Oct. 6, 2026, was struck by agreement of the parties involved before Diestelhorst entered his guilty plea.
