Man pleads no-contest to sexually assaulting child
By Julie Riddle1 min read
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The interior of the Alpena County Courthouse appears in this News file photo.
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ALPENA -- Nathan Benton, 37, pleaded no-contest on Tuesday to third-degree criminal sexual conduct charges related to accusations he sexually assaulted an 8- or 9-year-old child.
A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes.
As part of a plea agreement with the Alpena County Prosecutor's Office, Benton agreed to reduced charges in exchange for prosecutors seeking a sentence of eight to 13 years in prison. Judge Ed Black will sentence Benton in October in Alpena's 26th Circuit Court.
Originally charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, Benton faced a mandatory 25-year minimum sentence had a jury found him guilty.
