MONROE - An Albany man charged with sexually assaulting an underage Belleville teen pleaded guilty Wednesday to contributing to the delinquency of a child.
Johna-thon Todd Sutherland, 23, pleaded guilty to a Class H felony charge of contributing to a child's delinquency and a Class A misdemeanor count of fourth-degree sexual assault. The latter charge was amended from a previous Class C felony charge of second-degree sexual assault of a child as part of Sutherland's plea agreement.
Sutherland was charged in February after Department of Justice investigators discovered sexually explicit correspondence between himself and the girl via Facebook. The two had met in November 2014, when they had sex in Sutherland's vehicle.
Shelly Rusch, a Madison attorney filling in for Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Kohl, recommended a sentence of no more than six months in jail with the possibility of withheld sentencing, due to Sutherland's age at the time of the incident. Rusch also said Sutherland may not be required to register as a sex offender should he comply with his parole.
Rusch recommended a pre-sentencing investigation be taken to determine an appropriate sentence for Sutherland. That sentence will be decided at a hearing on Oct. 19.
The maximum possible sentence for Sutherland's charges is four and a half years in prison.
Johna-thon Todd Sutherland, 23, pleaded guilty to a Class H felony charge of contributing to a child's delinquency and a Class A misdemeanor count of fourth-degree sexual assault. The latter charge was amended from a previous Class C felony charge of second-degree sexual assault of a child as part of Sutherland's plea agreement.
Sutherland was charged in February after Department of Justice investigators discovered sexually explicit correspondence between himself and the girl via Facebook. The two had met in November 2014, when they had sex in Sutherland's vehicle.
Shelly Rusch, a Madison attorney filling in for Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Kohl, recommended a sentence of no more than six months in jail with the possibility of withheld sentencing, due to Sutherland's age at the time of the incident. Rusch also said Sutherland may not be required to register as a sex offender should he comply with his parole.
Rusch recommended a pre-sentencing investigation be taken to determine an appropriate sentence for Sutherland. That sentence will be decided at a hearing on Oct. 19.
The maximum possible sentence for Sutherland's charges is four and a half years in prison.
