DARLINGTON - A Shullsburg man entered a deferred prosecution agreement Friday after pleading guilty to a felony charge of repeated sexual assault of a child and two misdemeanor charges of having sexual contact with a child more than 16 years old.
Dean George Ubersox, 53, was offered a five-year deferred prosecution concurrent with two years of probation on the charges, which arose after he had repeated sexual contact with an underage girl between March 2013 and October 2014.
An additional Class C felony charge of repeated sexual assault of a child was dismissed as part of the plea agreement. The two misdemeanor charges were introduced Friday as a revision by Lafayette County District Attorney Katherine Findley.
Findley said she chose to prosecute Ubersox leniently as the victim and her family had repeatedly refused to cooperate with her office.
Furthermore, a search of Ubersox's phone upon his arrest revealed that he had been involved in a sexual relationship with an "age-appropriate" woman, Findley said. This suggested that Ubersox was not a pedophile.
According to court records, Ubersox's encounters with the victim were ostensibly consensual, but Green County Judge James Beer emphasized that underage children can never give informed sexual consent.
Beer passed Ubersox's sentence "with great reluctance," he said. "This would have been much harsher if the victim had cooperated," Beer warned Ubersox.
The maximum sentence for a Class C felony charge is 40 years in prison, or a fine of $100,000.
Ubersox may yet face such punishments if he fails to meet the conditions of his deferred prosecution or violates his probation. At the very least, he would have to register as a sex offender, which would "ruin his life," Findley said.
"If he thinks his life has been miserable lately, he has no idea what's coming down the pike if he violates his probation," Findley said.
The probation requirements for those found guilty of sex crimes are especially stringent, Findley said. Ubersox will be prohibited from owning a computer or an Internet-capable phone without the approval of a probation agent.
Ubersox will also be barred from contact with children without the presence of an approved adult. Nor will he be allowed to consume alcohol, enter an establishment that primarily sells alcohol or hold a firearm.
Ubersox will also be subject to alcohol treatment programs and counseling.
Dean George Ubersox, 53, was offered a five-year deferred prosecution concurrent with two years of probation on the charges, which arose after he had repeated sexual contact with an underage girl between March 2013 and October 2014.
An additional Class C felony charge of repeated sexual assault of a child was dismissed as part of the plea agreement. The two misdemeanor charges were introduced Friday as a revision by Lafayette County District Attorney Katherine Findley.
Findley said she chose to prosecute Ubersox leniently as the victim and her family had repeatedly refused to cooperate with her office.
Furthermore, a search of Ubersox's phone upon his arrest revealed that he had been involved in a sexual relationship with an "age-appropriate" woman, Findley said. This suggested that Ubersox was not a pedophile.
According to court records, Ubersox's encounters with the victim were ostensibly consensual, but Green County Judge James Beer emphasized that underage children can never give informed sexual consent.
Beer passed Ubersox's sentence "with great reluctance," he said. "This would have been much harsher if the victim had cooperated," Beer warned Ubersox.
The maximum sentence for a Class C felony charge is 40 years in prison, or a fine of $100,000.
Ubersox may yet face such punishments if he fails to meet the conditions of his deferred prosecution or violates his probation. At the very least, he would have to register as a sex offender, which would "ruin his life," Findley said.
"If he thinks his life has been miserable lately, he has no idea what's coming down the pike if he violates his probation," Findley said.
The probation requirements for those found guilty of sex crimes are especially stringent, Findley said. Ubersox will be prohibited from owning a computer or an Internet-capable phone without the approval of a probation agent.
Ubersox will also be barred from contact with children without the presence of an approved adult. Nor will he be allowed to consume alcohol, enter an establishment that primarily sells alcohol or hold a firearm.
Ubersox will also be subject to alcohol treatment programs and counseling.