Spencerville mayor arraigned on pandering charge

LIMA — Spencerville Mayor Phil Briggs was arraigned on a pandering obscenity involving a minor charge at Lima Municipal Court Wednesday afternoon.

Briggs, 45, is being held at the Allen County Jail on a $200,000 bond for the second-degree felony. According to a release from the Allen County Sheriff’s Office, the Spencerville Police Department contacted the sheriff’s office for their assistance in a pandering investigation at around 1 p.m. on Monday.

Detectives interviewed two teenage girls who said the mayor had recorded them in various stages of undress. A search warrant was executed at the home and on a laptop.

Briggs was arrested on the charge after he was interviewed by detectives.

Briggs was sworn in as mayor Dec. 31, 2019 by outgoing mayor PJ Johnson. His term is set to expire at the end of this year, and he has not filed for re-election at the Allen County Board of Elections as of yet, according to the board’s website.

A preliminary hearing will be held at the Municipal Court on Tuesday at 11 a.m.