SWEETWATER COUNTY– A plea review hearing was held this morning to clarify the record for Allan Wilson’s guilty plea to second-degree sexual abuse of a minor, which he made December 17, 2018.
Wilson, former Green River City Councilman and former director of the Green River Parks and Recreation Department, plead guilty to second-degree sexual abuse of a minor stemming from an incident that took place in Sweetwater County in 2013.
However, due to what Judge Nena James called, “a terrible situation in social media,” she called for a plea review hearing to clarify Wilson’s voluntariness to make the plea and the truthfulness of it.
Judge James said a lot of comments were made on social media, including comments from Wilson’s attorney, that suggested Wilson may have been coerced into entering the guilty plea.
In District Court today, Wilson confirmed that he did understand the charge and plea agreement, and that he voluntarily entered the plea with no coercion.
Judge James also said comments were made on social media regarding the truthfulness of the factual basis. Judge James asked Wilson if he was being truthful when he gave his factual basis, or if he may have “read a statement that was prepared for you.”
Wilson stood by his plea, saying that his factual basis was truthful.
The Sweetwater County Attorney’s Office did not have any inquiries regarding the plea.
Judge James said she wanted the record to be “clean and clear” and that she is “satisfied” with the voluntariness and truthfulness of Wilson’s plea.
The case is undergoing pre-sentencing investigation, and sentencing is pending that investigation. Judge James said the case will not go to disposition until at least March 2019.
The Plea
In exchange for the guilty plea, a single charge each against Wilson for first, second and third sexual abuse of a minor in Lincoln County were deferred. Those charges were all joined in a separate court proceeding earlier this year.
Per the plea agreement, Wilson would plead guilty to the Sweetwater County charge, and his sentence would be deferred in the other charges if he admitted under oath to the allegations against him.
In District Court on December 17, 2018, Wilson admitted to touching the penis of the minor, who was under the age of 13, for sexual gratification in the late spring and early summer of 2013.
The sentence for second-degree sexual abuse of a minor carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Had Wilson not entered into the plea agreement, he faced a maximum sentence of 105 years in prison and a $40,000 fine.
Wilson was arraigned in District Court on June 8 and entered a plea of not guilty to all four charges.
Wilson spent 34 years working in many different capacities for the Parks and Recreation Department. He recently retired and served on the Green River City Council in Ward I.
