He served Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, in his first Italian Expedition in 1110–1111.

Emperor Henry V already addressed him as Otto Count of "Witlinesbac" in a document in 1115.

Since Otto had participated in the capture of Pope Paschal in 1111, he was excommunicated from church, along with Emperor Henry.

In order to atone for his sins for kidnapping the earlier Pope, (who was now deceased) Otto founded the Augustinian monastery and church in Indersdorf in 1120, in order for the present Pope, Calixtus II, to remove the excommunication.

[2][3] On 13 July 1116 Otto married Heilika of Pettendorf-Lengenfeld,[4] a daughter of Count Frederick III of Pettendorf-Lengenfeld-Hopfenohe, by whom he had issue: