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Phillips man pleads ‘no contest’ to unlawful sexual contact, is sentenced

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William Sylvester
William Sylvester

FARMINGTON – A Phillips man pleaded no contest to felony unlawful sexual contact Thursday morning in Franklin County Superior Court, receiving a 5-year, partially-suspended sentence.

William Sylvester, 40 of Phillips, pleaded no contest to unlawful sexual contact, a Class C felony, after waiving his right to have the charge reviewed by a grand jury. A ‘no contest’ plea indicates that the defendant does not admit or contest the charge, and is treated as a guilty plea by the court for the purposes of sentencing.

According to evidence that Assistant District Attorney Claire Andrews said would have been presented by the state had the case proceeded to trial, the alleged incidents occurred between December 2013 and April 2014. Witnesses for the state, Andrews said, would have testified that Sylvester would get drunk and go off with the victim to play “tickle games.”

The unlawful sexual contact charge to which Sylvester pleaded no contest indicated that he had intentional sexual contact with the victim, including penetration.

The state and law enforcement became involved after the victim, who was under the age of 14 at the time, went to the doctor’s office. That led to a Department of Health and Human Services referral and an investigation by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department.

Sylvester was eventually arrested on a warrant for two counts of gross sexual assault, after he returned to the state from Pennsylvania. Since then, he’s been in custody for nearly 5 months.

Both Andrews and Sylvester’s attorney, John O’Donnell, indicated that the state had issues with its case. O’Donnell cited “inconsistent statements” made by the victim, but added that Sylvester had agreed to the arranged plea and sentence. Andrews said that the state did have “concerns about our case,” as well as concerns about putting the victim through a trial.

The arranged sentence is for 5 years to the Department of Corrections, with all but 146 days of that sentence suspended. That is the amount of time that Sylvester has spent in jail to date. Following his release, Sylvester will be on probation for three years, with conditions to include no contact with children under the age of 18, no use or possession of alcohol or drugs and random search and test for same as well as sex offender and substance abuse counseling.

The victim did agree with the sentence, Andrews said. While it did not address the gravity of the offense, in Andrew’s opinion, she said that the sentence had been developed with an eye toward the realities of the criminal justice system.

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14 Comments

  1. Another example of the punishment not fitting the crime. Who is going to be around to make sure he follows his agreement? No drinking? I think now. Not being around children? Seriously. That will be the first place he goes and then he will be in court again for another slap on the wrist.

  2. I don’t understand why the courts are so soft on sex offenders!! Seem like all they get anymore is a slap on the wrist.

  3. The telling sentence in this sad and typical state of affairs
    Is the last one in the article. “The realities of the
    criminal justice system”….what about the realities of the
    poor victims of this unrepentant monster?
    Another example of our broken CRIMINAL “justice”
    system!

  4. What is possibly superior about a court that hands down a sentence like this? As I read the last sentence in this article I just shake my head. Unreal, absolutely unreal.

  5. This is sickening! When is the judicial system going to take a hard approach against crimes against children???

  6. “the realities of the criminal justice system” … what haven’t we become?

  7. This monster intentionally had sexual contact and penetrated the victim that at the time was under 14 years old. He should be behind bars or worse for a much longer sentence than what the courts gave him. When is the justice system going to stop being so leinient on the pedfiles.

  8. “The reality off the justice system” suks.
    It means No Justice.
    Sleep well folks.

  9. Sex offenders can never be rehabilitated. Lock them up for life and make them work for their food and their 65 channel TV. They can never be a part of society again. They will do it again if they have the opportunity. Sad to say but it absolutely TRUE.

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