Lovell man enters Alford pleas to allegations of abuse of minor

A Lovell man accused of 16 felony charges relating to incest, sexual abuse and abuse of a minor changed his not guilty plea in the Fifth Judicial District Court of Big Horn County on Tuesday, Dec. 16. 

The 40-year-old man, whose name is being withheld to protect the victim’s identity, entered an Alford plea on one count of sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree pursuant to a plea agreement that would dismiss the remaining 15 charges. 

“That means you would not be pleading guilty and would not be required to lay a factual basis for what you are pleading to,” Judge Bobbi Overfield addressed the defendant. “Looking forward, the court would treat that the same as a guilty plea for purposes of imposing a sentence and sanctions as it relates to your plea.”

The Alford plea concedes that the information in the affidavit for the count in question is considered factual, without requiring the defendant to agree to the allegations. 

“As this manner proceeded to trial, the state anticipates that it would have witnesses and evidence sufficient for evidence and testimony that we would need to meet our burden regarding count one, and that information is provided in the affidavit of probable cause,” Deputy Big Horn County Attorney Kimberly Mickelson said. 

The Alford plea also dismisses a jury trial previously scheduled for January; the defendant would be subject to all the penalties of a felony conviction, including the submission of a DNA sample to DCI and potential admission to the sex offender registry. 

Under the terms of the plea agreement, the accused would serve 12 to 18 years at the Wyoming Department of Corrections with credit for time served from March 17, 2025 to sentencing. No contact with the alleged victim or other children would be permitted; with no opportunity to seek sentence modification or reduction. 

At the accused’s arraignment in June, Overfield relayed that the man may face 110 years of imprisonment and up to $50,000 in fines for the 16 initial charges. On Tuesday, she confirmed that the defendant understood that the dismissal of other charges was potential, and he could still be found guilty and at the risk of greater punishment than the plea agreement outlined. 

The remaining 15 counts will be held in abeyance pending the court’s consideration of the plea agreement and sentencing. A presentence investigation was ordered Tuesday, to be completed within 60 days and administered to the defendant at least ten days prior to sentencing.