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File photo The interior of the Alpena County Courthouse appears in this file photo.
ALPENA – Nathan Benton, 37, pleaded no contest Tuesday to third-degree criminal sexual conduct charges related to charges of sexually assaulting an 8 or 9-year-old child.
A plea of no contest is not an admission of guilt, but is treated as such for sentencing purposes.
As part of a plea deal with the Alpena County District Attorney’s Office, Benton agreed to lower charges in exchange for prosecutors seeking sentences of eight to 13 years in prison. Judge Ed Black will convict Benton in October at Alpena’s 26th Circuit Court.
Originally charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, Benton faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years if a jury found him guilty.
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