PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) — A Pendleton man has pleaded guilty to charges of sexually abusing and endangering a minor after he and another man were accused of forcing a girl to perform sexual acts in his residence.
The East Oregonian reports 32-year-old William Benard III faced felony charges, but struck a plea deal and pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts. A judge handed down a suspended sentence of 180 days in jail and five years probation.
A second man accused in the incident, Brandon Patterson, remains in jail. A convicted sex offender, Patterson faces charges of one count each of first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree sodomy, fourth-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a minor.
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Information from: East Oregonian, http://www.eastoregonian.info
