DES MOINES – A Minnesota man who came to Iowa for sex with a child and was later convicted of sexual abuse has lost his appeal in court.
Jasen Salin, age 44 of Maynard, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse in the second degree, class “B” felonies, in Worth and Winnebago counties in July of 2015.
Salin admitted to twice having sexual intercourse with a child under the age of twelve. The district court sentenced him to indeterminate prison terms of twenty-five years, subject to mandatory minimum terms of seventy percent. The court ordered the sentences be served concurrently.
Salin argued in his appeal that the sentencing scheme mandated by Iowa code violates the separation of powers doctrine in Iowa’s state constitution, and asked the court to reconsider prior supreme court precedent rejecting similar claims.
The Iowa Court of Appeals ruled that because the supreme court has previously rejected similar claims and because the supreme court transferred the case to the appeals court, such reconsideration is not possible. He will continue serving his prison time in the Newton Correctional Facility.
