Charles City man sentenced on charge of sexual acts with a child

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A Charles City man who pleaded guilty to committing lascivious acts with a child was sentenced this week to three to five years probation and ordered to spend time in a residential treatment facility.

James Ray Foster III, age 25, had been arrested last September in Charles City and charged with sexual abuse in the second degree, a Class B felony, for allegedly committing sexual abuse on a child age 6-8, several years earlier. He was also charged with lascivious acts with a child, a Class C felony.

In December, Foster pleaded guilty to the lesser Class C felony in an agreement with the Floyd County Attorney’s Office to drop the Class B sexual abuse charge and recommend probation.

Sentencing was held Monday in Floyd County District Court, and Judge DeDra Schroeder sentenced Foster to up to 10 years in jail and a $750 fine plus 15% court surcharge, with both the prison term and the fine suspended.

She put Foster on probation for five years, and ordered him placed at Beje Clark Residential Facility in Mason City or a similar residential facility, “until maximum benefits are achieved,” and that he wear a GPS monitoring ankle bracelet and have no contact with minors. She also issued a no-contact order with the victim effective for five years.

Schroeder also ordered that Foster remain in jail until a place in a residential facility opens up.

Foster will be required to register on the Iowa Sex Offender Registry, and will also be subject to Iowa’s lifetime special sentence, a sentence for sexual offenders that is like probation and keeps him under the supervision of the Iowa Department of Corrections for the rest of his life.