4 months ago
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PENNINGTON COUNTY, S.D. (KELO) -- A man who sexually assaulted a child and had sexual contact with a teenager entered an Alford plea in court.
29-year-old Ian Hoffman received a 15-year penitentiary (for each of the two counts to run concurrently) sentence Tuesday afternoon according to the the Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office.
In the Alford plea, Hoffman acknowledged the state has enough evidence to convict him at trial but maintained his innocence. The plea functions the same as a guilty plea for the purposes of conviction.
Senior Deputy State’s Attorney Roxanne Hammond described Hoffman as a master manipulator who groomed the child starting with tickling and escalated into more sinister and violating actions.
"He has consistently minimized his actions. That’s what makes him so dangerous. When you don’t recognize that your actions are wrong, it’s hard to believe you will ever act any differently," Hammond said.
Seventh Circuit Judge Robert Gusinsky noted what Hoffman did is one of the worst crimes in the criminal justice system.
Hoffman was originally charged with one count of first-degree rape against a child under 13, and one count of sexual co...
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