She added that the plea offer “was made in consultation with the victim,” who was not named.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
The alleged victim was a 14-year-old family member of the former deputy, his attorney confirms.
Ballin tells PEOPLE that Beck “maintained his innocence but was presented with an opportunity to get this behind him with a guarantee of not going to jail and not being on the sex offender registry,” and so Beck accepted the plea deal, knowing that “a trial had an uncertain result.”
Given that the original charges carried a mandatory minimum prison term, Ballin adds, “the parties reached an agreement that I would say neither side was real happy with.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
source: people.com
