A Thompson man has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two children.
Michael Chenarides, 51, has consented to an agreement with the state that would find him guilty of one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child and two counts of corruption of a minor. An additional charge of corruption of a minor and a charge of sexual assault would both be dismissed if the judge chooses to accept the plea agreement.
Chenarides will next appear in court on June 7 for a sentencing hearing, after a presentence investigation has been completed. The plea agreement asks for 35 years in prison with 15 years suspended, 10 years of supervised probation, required registration as a sex offender, payment of court fees, treatment and no contact with the victims. It will be up to the judge to accept or reject the terms of the plea agreement.
The charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child carries a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole. The other charges each carry an additional maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
According to court documents, two juveniles disclosed to police that Chenarides had asked them to remove their clothes and groped them on multiple occasions over a period of multiple years.
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One juvenile, 16 at the time that they spoke to police, was 12 when the abuse started, and told investigators that the last time Chenarides assaulted them was March 2020. The second juvenile was 15 the first time Chenarides assaulted them, and the abuse continued until the victim was 17, according to documents.
