Austin sex offender re-sentenced to prison following probation violation
Leonardo Nieto-Vazquez / Mower County Jail Roster
(ABC 6 News) – An Austin teenager convicted of two sexual assaults was sentenced to prison following a probation violation.
Leonardo Antonio Nieto-Vazquez pleaded guilty Friday to using an unregistered phone to message others, including a Mower County murder suspect.
Nieto-Vazquez had previously been given probation for his sexual assault pleas — but was re-sentenced Friday after the admitted violation.
He was sentenced to 48 months, or four years, at the MN Correctional Facility in St. Cloud.
Nieto-Vazquez was granted 120 days’ credit for time already spent in custody, and may be released on probation after two-thirds of the sentence has been served.
According to the MN DOC, his estimated release will be in October of 2026.
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(ABC 6 News) – An Austin teenager convicted of two sexual assaults was charged Monday, June 3, with using an unregistered phone to message others, including a Mower County inmate.
Leonardo Antonio Nieto-Vazquez was taken into custody over the weekend on a new charge of predatory offender–knowingly commits act or fails to fulfill registration requirement.
Nieto-Vazquez was sentenced to 15 years’ probation after two criminal sexual conduct cases earlier this year.
RELATED: Austin teen sentenced for criminal sexual conduct – ABC 6 News – kaaltv.com
Nieto-Vazquez’s probation conditions included items preventing him from using the internet without permission or monitoring, and requiring him to disclose internet-capable devices within 24 hours of obtaining them.
In early May, Austin police working in the Mower County Jail noticed murder suspect Jenup Chop texting with an unknown number with the name “Leo Old.”
According to court documents, Nieto-Vazquez allegedly used his “old” number to give Chop his new number, and had a discussion about having a new phone, but keeping the old one in case “buddy” checked in.
Police believed “buddy” referred to Nieto-Vazquez’s probation agent, who would have overseen any new phone number registrations.
On May 31, police met Nieto-Vazquez at his residence, obtained the phone, and allegedly determined that it was a smart phone, which violated the terms of his probation.
Nieto-Vazquez also had a flip phone, which he was allowed to use as part of his probation, according to court documents.
Nieto-Vazquez allegedly told police he had been too busy to register the phone for the last month, and also had not done so because it violated his probation.
He is currently held in the Mower County jail with no bail option, and appeared for probation violation hearings Tuesday.
Nieto-Vazquez is scheduled to appear for a second set of probation violation hearings Wednesday, June 5.