A West Des Moines man faces up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine after pleading guilty Friday to a charge of lascivious acts with a child in an incident occurring last May in Perry.
Jesse Donavon Taggart, 22, was originally charged with second-degree sexual abuse-forcible rape, indecent exposure and dissemination of obscene material to a minor.
In exchange for his guilty plea, Taggart’s charges were reduced by the Dallas County Attorney’s office to one count of lascivious acts with a child. Dallas County District Court Judge Paul R. Huscher accepted the plea bargain Friday.
Taggart was arrested July 8 by the Perry Police Department in connection with crimes occurring in May.
At the time of the arrest, Perry Police Chief Eric Vaughn said his department’s investigation “discovered that probable cause existed to charge Taggart with assaulting a single female victim under the age of 12.” Vaughn said the suspect “stands accused of committing a sex act upon that victim along with exposing himself to her and showing her obscene material.”
Taggart is being held at the Dallas County Jail. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 27.
