A Balaton man who was facing four felony counts of criminal sexual conduct against four minors while serving as a youth group leader at a church has pleaded guilty on all counts.
Ethan Nelson, 36, pleaded guilty to three counts of 4th degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of third degree criminal sexual conduct.
As part of his plea deal, Nelson was charged with one gross misdemeanor; the other counts received a stayed guideline sentence, and Nelson received seven years probation under the following terms: 120 days of initially executed jail time; a psychosexual evaluation; no coaching or school leadership responsibilities during the probation period; and restitution, if any.
Any contact with minors must be in the presence of another adult.
Nelson’s probation period also includes no contact with none of the four victims, including one witness; and no purchase of or possession of sexually-explicit materials. Nelson must also issue a letter of apology to each victim.
Each count against Nelson included victims in their teens at the time, and when he was in a position of authority as a youth group leader at Victory Church in Balaton. All four counts included sexual contact, and in one case, sexual penetration.
The offenses occurred between June 26, 2014-March 9, 2018.
