Jackson man pleads guilty to two counts

A Jackson man who was arrested in August and charged with five counts of statutory sodomy and two counts of child molestation was sentenced Monday after reaching a plea agreement with the court.

Ricky E. Williams, 20, pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of deviate sexual assault, according to assistant prosecuting attorney Gordon Glaus.

Williams was sentenced to five years for each count. Glaus said the court will keep jurisdiction over Williams and he will be sent to a 120-day sexual offender assessment program at Farmington, Mo., where he will undergo psychological evaluations.

If at the end of the 120 days counselors determine his performance was not satisfactory, they can refuse to release him. He will then begin to serve his two five-year sentences.

How much of that he actually serves depends on decisions made by the board of Probation and Parole, Glaus said.

If Williams successfully completes the treatment program, then he will be released and put on supervised probation and required to attend Missouri Sexual Offenders Program classes. He will also have to register as a sex offender.

Williams was arrested Aug. 1 after a 9-year-old girl told police and counselors at the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence office that Williams had sexually abused her on at least 10 occasions over the course of a year.