By Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer

INDEPENDENCE - A City Council member facing charges in an Internet sex sting has resigned.

First-term councilman Otis Ketron told city officials in an e-mail sent Tuesday that he's resigning immediately to avoid being a distraction. He said he's also taken a new job out of town.

"I wish no longer to be a black eye on the city I love and hold dear to my heart,'' Ketron wrote in his e-mail. "I am also accepting an employment opportunity out of town that would not allow me to be able to dedicate the time the city deserves.''

At Monday's meeting, council accepted a petition from 103 people who called for Ketron to resign. The 48-year-old father of four was arrested in March after police said he used his work computer at Procter & Gamble to solicit sex from a Hamilton County sheriff's detective posing as a 15-year-old girl.

Ketron has pleaded not guilty to five felony charges of importuning, or solicitation - charges that carry a maximum prison sentence of five years upon conviction. A trial date is expected to be set Tuesday in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.

Ketron's lawyer, James Perry, was on vacation Wednesday and could not be reached for comment.

Independence Mayor Chris Moriconi said that Ketron told him in a phone call from out of town that "he thinks it's in the best interest of the city for him to resign.''

"I agreed with him,'' Moriconi said. "We have too much work to do without being distracted by this.''

The city of Independence is building an amphitheater and a new municipal building and is involved in numerous road projects, Moriconi said.

The Kenton County town of more than 16,000 is one of Kentucky's fastest-growing cities.

Kenton County Clerk Bill Aylor said that Ketron must submit a letter of resignation with a signature and council must meet to accept it.

As that's unlikely to happen before Tuesday's filing deadline, Aylor said that whomever council appoints to fill the vacancy would serve the rest of Ketron's term, which expires in December 2004.

In his letter of resignation, Ketron recommended Dwight Myers, who lost a bid for a City Council seat in November, and Maura Snyder, who was eliminated in the May 2002 primary, as possible replacements.

"I have not spoken to either one of them and hopefully my saying this doesn't condemn them,'' Ketron said in his e-mail to council.

Myers could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Snyder, one of several people circulating petitions seeking Ketron's resignation, was surprised to hear he had recommended her as a possible successor.

"I would definitely not expect my name to be in his resignation letter,'' Snyder said Wednesday.

She said that she has enjoyed being "a citizen who's very involved and interested in her city,'' and added that she "hadn't even thought about serving on council.''

Snyder said she didn't know whether she would accept the council seat, should it offered.

"I was just happy that he made the mature decision and stepped down,'' Snyder said.

"If he's found not guilty, I'd be thrilled for him to throw his name back on the ballot and run again.''

E-mail cschroeder@enquirer.com