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3 years of probation in sex assault case
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MONROE - A former Belleville man was sentenced Monday to three years of probation after pleading guilty last month to charges of sexually assaulting an underage teenage girl.

Matthew Christen, 25, currently of Oregon, was sentenced on a Class H felony count of intentionally contributing to the delinquency of a child and two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree sexual assault.

Christen was charged in March of this year after Department of Justice investigators discovered a sexually explicit conversation between him and an underage Belleville teen from fall 2014. Subsequent investigation revealed that Christen had met the teen for sex multiple times between October and November of that year.

Green County Circuit Judge Thomas Vale sentenced Christen to three years of probation, with three months of the sentence to be served in jail with work release privileges.

As part of Christen's probation conditions, he is prohibited from having any contact with the victim or her mother, or from using any computer or internet-capable device without the approval of his probation agent.

Christen's charges may be expunged from his record, should he complete his probation successfully.

The court also decided to not require Christen to register as a sex offender, a consideration made based on his age at the time of the incidents.