An Austin man who pleaded guilty after having engaged in sexually explicit text messaging with a then 13-year-old girl in December of 2018 has been sentenced to supervised probation, plus fines and fees in Mower County District Court.
31-year old Jacob Steven Smith was convicted and sentenced Friday to five years of supervised probation and $985 in fines and fees for a felony charge of engaging in electronic communication with a child relating or describing sexual conduct. Smith was granted a stay of imposition in the case where the defendant pleads guilty to a felony-level offense. If he or she successfully completes their probation, the conviction will be deemed a misdemeanor.
Smith must comply with 22 different conditions while on probation, and he first pleaded guilty to the charge in October of 2021. A felony charge for soliciting a child to engage in sexual conduct thorugh electronic communication in the case was dismissed with Smith’s guilty plea.