A 33-year-old Duluth man accused in March of sexually assaulting a preteen girl multiple times in 2005 pleaded guilty Wednesday to first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Brock Joseph McCarthy entered the plea before Judge Dale Harris in St. Louis County District Court. As part of a plea agreement reached with the St. Louis County Attorney's Office, a charge of second-degree criminal sexual conduct will be dismissed if the plea is accepted by the court.
Harris deferred accepting the plea on Wednesday. Defense attorney Mikkel Long told the court that under the plea agreement, McCarthy has the option of withdrawing his plea if a pre-sentence investigation conducted by an Arrowhead Regional Corrections Officer determines that a prison sentence is warranted.
According to the criminal complaint: Two St. Louis County social workers met with the victim at her school. She provided details of the extent of the alleged abuse and where it allegedly happened.
A social worker contacted a Duluth police investigator. The complaint indicates that police took extra precautions in finding and detaining McCarthy and protecting the alleged victim because the defendant has one or more handguns and a permit to carry.
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The defendant was advised of his Miranda rights and asked if he would waive those rights, and he agreed to "for now." He admitted to having at least a half-dozen sexual encounters with the girl. He told police that he was sexually abused as a child and he couldn't protect his alleged victim from himself.
He admitted in court that he had sexually abused the girl on a half-dozen occasions. His next court appearance, which could be his sentencing, is scheduled for Aug. 18.
McCarthy entered the guilty plea with the presumption he will receive a probationary sentence, which could include time in the St. Louis County Jail or at the Northeast Regional Corrections Center, as well as sex offender treatment and after-care programming.
Harris ordered that the defendant undergo a
psycho-sexual evaluation as part of the pre-sentence investigation.
The guideline sentence for first-degree criminal sexual conduct is 12 years in prison.
