Charles City man pleads guilty to child sex charge; sentencing set for April

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A Charles City man has pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse in the third degree in return for three other counts of the same charge being dropped.

Judge Colleen Weiland accepted the Alford plea of Ronald Dean Stewart at a plea hearing in Floyd County District Court last week, and set sentencing for April 25.

According to documents filed in Floyd County District Court, Ronald Dean Stewart, age 59, of Charles City, was arrested in September 2021 and charged with four counts of sexual abuse in the third degree, each a Class D felony, for allegedly having sexually touched a girl while she was age 14 and 15, between January 2020 and August 2021.

As part of a plea agreement, the Floyd County Attorney’s Office will recommend that three of the four sexual abuse charges be dismissed.

The office will also recommend a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, fully suspended; three to five years probation with the Iowa Department of Correctional Services; $1,375 fine plus 15% surcharge, fully suspended; lifetime registry on the Iowa Sexual Offender Registry; sexual offender treatment as recommended by the Department of Correctional Services; no contact with the victim for five years; and other costs and fees.

Also as part of the plea, Stewart will be subject to Iowa’s Special Sentence for sex crimes, which would put him under the supervision of the Department of Correctional Services for the rest of his life.

An Alford plea means Stewart does not admit guilt, but agrees that there is enough evidence for the likelihood that a jury would find him guilty. The criminal impact is the same as a guilty plea.