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In front of a nearly full courtroom Thursday morning, a North Webster man received his sentence for sexual misconduct with a minor.
Ricky J. Swope, 37, of North Webster, submitted a plea agreement to Judge Rex Reed in Kosciusko Circuit Court Aug. 17. Swope agreed to plead guilty to sexual misconduct with a minor, a Class C felony, as a lesser included offense of child molesting, a Class B felony. Swope will spend four years in prison for the offense. He also was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and court costs. He also will be required to register with the state as a sex offender.
More than 20 members of Swope's church attended the hearing to support him, and several letters of support were sent to Judge Reed.
Swope's counselor, Donald L. Munn, took the stand and spoke in Swope's defense.
"(Swope has been) honest and very open to working at things," Munn said. "He is eager and willing to grow and make changes. ... He fully accepts responsibility for his actions. He is not the usual perpetrator."
When asked if he felt Swope poses a threat to minors, Munn responded, "I do not. I think he poses no threat."
Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney Steven Hearn asked if Munn thought Swope should have contact with his victim.
"I hope he had not had contact with her," Munn said.
Later, Hearn said he received information from Child Protective Services that Swope had contact with the girl in the past two weeks, but Swope denied the claim.
Before the plea agreement was accepted, Swope addressed the court.
"I am sorry to my wife, family, friends, church family and God," Swope said. "I have no excuses for what I've done. I take full responsibility. ... I had a choice at all times."
Swope admitted to contacting his victim in June.
"I knew that I needed help," Swope said. "The reason for the contact was that I felt I still needed (the victim) to say I was ok, that I was still a good person. At that point I could not let go of it. I decided I needed help to break that pattern."
Swope added that was when he began counseling.
Before accepting Swope's plea agreement, Judge Reed addressed Swope.
"Mr. Swope, I am required to be judicious and not mean spirited," Judge Reed said. "I am wholly offended by your actions. ... What occurred here, (occurred) not one time but over a long period of time."
Then Judge Reed addressed the people supporting Swope.
"I don't think you would stand up ... if you daughter engaged in sex with a man at least 30 years her senior when she is only 13 years old. ... We have obligations as citizens ... to follow the law.
"Who is standing up for the victim? Whose job is that? I perceive that as my responsibility, Mr. Swope."
After Judge Reed read the sentence and remanded Swope to the custody of the sheriff, Swope's wife and several of his supporters broke down in tears.
In March, Swope was arrested for child seduction. According to the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, the girl, now 16, recently told a friend she had been having sex with the man for the past three years.
According to the Indiana Criminal Code, when a person "engages with a child in sexual intercourse, deviate sexual conduct or any fondling or touching with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of either the child or the adult, the person commits child seduction, a Class D felony."
