Rochester man receives two-year probation after pleading guilty to criminal sexual conduct
Randall Roger Ash / Olmsted County Adult Detention Center
(ABC 6 News) – A Rochester man was sentenced to two years’ probation after pleading guilty to 4th-degree criminal sexual conduct with a 3rd-grader.
Randall Roger Ash, 68, took an Alford plea deal, a type of guilty plea wherein a defendant maintains their innocence, but admits that a court has sufficient evidence to convict them of a crime.
Ash was ordered to attend a sex offender program, pay a $1,000 fine, and complete 67 hours of community service.
He was granted a stay of adjudication, meaning that if he completes his probation, the conviction will not go on his record.
Olmsted County judge Lisa R. Hayne approved the Alford plea deal.
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(ABC 6 News) – A Rochester man took a plea deal in Olmsted County court Friday.
Randall Roger Ash, 67, was accused of sexually assaulting a 3rd-grader in 2015.
Ash originally faced charges of 1st-and 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct with a child under 13. He pleaded guilty to an amended charge of 4th-degree criminal sexual conduct with a child in exchange for a maximum sentence of two years’ probation and no jail time.
Olmsted County judge Lisa R. Hayne approved the Alford plea deal.
An Alford plea is a type of guilty plea wherein a defendant maintains their innocence, but admits that a court has sufficient evidence to convict them of a crime.
(ABC 6 News) – A Rochester man will stand trial after being accused of sexually assaulting a child who was in 3rd grade at the time in 2015.
Randall Roger Ash, 67, faces charges of 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct with a child under 13 and 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct with a child under 13.
Both charges are felonies.
According to court documents, the alleged victim told his mother in June of 2021 that he had been sexually assaulted at a sleepover at age 8 or 9.
The child described being sexually assaulted by Ash and picked his photo out of a lineup several years later, according to court documents.
Ash’s pretrial is scheduled for May 18, 2023, with a jury trial scheduled May 30.