Monticello man to serve 11 years in prison for sex with minors

CEDAR RAPIDS - A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a Monticello man to 11 years in prison for groping two 12-year-old girls and one 13-year-old girl and sending them nude photos of himself.

Colton Rickels, 20, pleaded guilty in April to one count of attempted enticement of a minor. He received one month longer than the mandatory minimum for the crime.

Rickels used the Internet to contact the minor girls in October 2014, U.S. District Chief Judge Linda Reade said during the hearing. He inappropriately touched the girls and threatened one of the 12-year-olds, telling her he would tell her parents she was cutting herself if she didn't have sex with him.

Reade said that even after Rickels was confronted about his behavior, he continued to have sex with a 12-year-old girl multiple times. He also sent the girls nude photos of himself and asked them to send him nude photos of themselves. At some point, he also followed one of the girls home from middle school and touched her.

Jill Johnston, Rickels' attorney, said he had a learning disability and had been in special education classes in high school. She admitted his behavior wasn't excusable but that she was concerned about him being exploited in prison, asking the judge to reduce his sentence by one month to 10 years.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Tremmel resisted a reduction in prison time, saying the aggravating factors outweigh concerns about Rickels' disability. Rickels, he said, exploited three children and had sex with one of them multiple times.

Rickels said he was sorry to the families but declined to say anything else because 'I'm an emotional wreck right now.”

Reade ordered Rickels to undergo sex offender and substance abuse treatment while in prison. He also must serve 10 years on supervised release when he completes his prison time.