A 19-year-old Spotsylvania County man pleaded guilty yesterday to sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl and will spend a year in jail.
Jonathan Anderson admitted to touching the girl inappropriately on several occasions.
Anderson, represented by defense attorney Mark Murphy, agreed to plead guilty to aggravated sexual battery in a plea agreement in Spotsylvania County Circuit Court.
In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutor Crystal Montague dropped three other related charges: forcible sodomy, animate object sexual penetration and inanimate object sexual penetration.
The agreement gives several stipulations with which Anderson must comply. They include a requirement that he register as a sex offender, have no contact with the victim or unsupervised contact with other children, and receive sex-offender treatment.
Judge David H. Beck sentenced Anderson to 10 years in prison on the aggravated sexual battery conviction but suspended nine of the years.
Anderson's charges stem from an Aug. 12 incident in which the girl's mother found her daughter and Anderson in the basement of her home.
The girl was readjusting her pants and Anderson was tightening his belt, according to the plea agreement.
Anderson didn't deny having inappropriate contact with the victim and told the girl's family "I'm sorry" after he was caught, according to the agreement.
Ellen Biltz: 540/374-5424
Email: ebiltz@freelancestar.com