Solon man sentenced to 4 years for sex abuse of child, woman

IOWA CITY — A 50-year-old Solon man was sentenced Monday to four years in prison for sexual abuse of a child and a woman.

Before his trial started in September, Robert L. Egesdal entered a written Alford plea to amended charges of indecent contact with a child in October 2013 through November 2014 and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse of a woman in June 2019, both aggravated misdemeanors, according to the plea agreement.

He was originally charged with four counts of third-degree sexual abuse, which are each 10-year prison sentences.

In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit to the offense but admits the prosecution has enough evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The prosecution asked 6th Judicial District Judge Paul Miller to run both two-year sentences consecutively, which he did. Miller, in his order, said he stacked the sentences because of the nature of the offenses, noting that one of the victims is a minor and there were different victims in each count.

Egesdal also was ordered to be listed on the sex offender registry for life, which is required for the assault with intent charge, and 10 years for the indecent contact charge. He also must serve a special parole of 10 years because these are sex offenses.

After serving so many years on the registry, a defendant can petition the court for removal from the registry if certain requirements are met, according to an Iowa sex offender law changed in 2009.

Miller imposed a five-year no-contact orders against Egesdal for the woman and the child.

The four counts of third-degree sexual abuse were dismissed, as part of the plea agreement.

According to a criminal complaint, Egesdal sexually abused the child, starting at age 12, on multiple occasions from October 2013 through and November 2017. He was accused of sexually abusing the woman from October 2017 through June 2019.

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