MONROE - An Illinois man pleaded guilty Wednesday in Green County Circuit Court to a lesser count of sexually assaulting a Belleville teen in 2014 as part of a plea agreement.
Jason D. Priest, 26, Capron, Illinois, pleaded guilty to a Class H felony count of contributing to the delinquency of a child and two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree sexual assault.
A Class D felony count of child enticement was dismissed as part of Priest's plea deal.
Priest was initially charged in July 2016 with two counts of second-degree sexual assault, Class C felonies. These charges were reduced to fourth-degree counts as part of his plea agreement.
Priest was charged after Department of Justice investigators uncovered sexually explicit Facebook correspondence between him and the underage victim from 2014.
According to police reports, the victim told Priest of her age before they met in person in December 2014. The victim told police Priest drove her to the Brooklyn Wildlife Area, where they had sex in the backseat of Priest's truck.
Prosecuting attorney Shelly Rusch recommended a term of probation in lieu of prison time, owing to the consensual nature of the encounter. Rusch also recommended no more than five months of conditional jail time, although she said she would advise reducing it to two months if Priest is able to pay restitution in a timely manner.
Green County Circuit Judge Thomas Vale ordered a pre-sentencing investigation to determine an appropriate sentence for Priest. His final sentencing decision will be made March 29.
The maximum possible sentence on Priest's charges is six years in prison.
Jason D. Priest, 26, Capron, Illinois, pleaded guilty to a Class H felony count of contributing to the delinquency of a child and two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree sexual assault.
A Class D felony count of child enticement was dismissed as part of Priest's plea deal.
Priest was initially charged in July 2016 with two counts of second-degree sexual assault, Class C felonies. These charges were reduced to fourth-degree counts as part of his plea agreement.
Priest was charged after Department of Justice investigators uncovered sexually explicit Facebook correspondence between him and the underage victim from 2014.
According to police reports, the victim told Priest of her age before they met in person in December 2014. The victim told police Priest drove her to the Brooklyn Wildlife Area, where they had sex in the backseat of Priest's truck.
Prosecuting attorney Shelly Rusch recommended a term of probation in lieu of prison time, owing to the consensual nature of the encounter. Rusch also recommended no more than five months of conditional jail time, although she said she would advise reducing it to two months if Priest is able to pay restitution in a timely manner.
Green County Circuit Judge Thomas Vale ordered a pre-sentencing investigation to determine an appropriate sentence for Priest. His final sentencing decision will be made March 29.
The maximum possible sentence on Priest's charges is six years in prison.