A Cedar Rapids man received a deferred judgment Thursday in Linn County District Court for sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl in 2007 and 2008.
Justin Randall, 27, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of extortion in November as part of a plea agreement. He admitted to threatening the girl if she told anybody about the abuse. Randall was originally charged with second-degree sexual abuse.
A judge sentenced Randall to two years’ probation because he had no violations on pre-trial release, which has been four years since he was charged, and because of his lack of criminal history. Randall faced up to five years in prison.
Assistant Linn County Attorney Jason Besler said this wasn’t a typical case. The plea agreement was made in the best interest of the child. There were complications because Randall now lives out of state and because of concerns for her mental health. This is the best resolution to protect the victim, he said.
