A former North Dakota Air National Guard lieutenant colonel accused of having oral sex with a 16-year-old boy he met online was sentenced to a year of supervised probation.
Thomas Carl Meyer, 45, of Fargo, pleaded guilty in Cass County District Court on Monday to a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a Class A misdemeanor.
Meyer was given a one-year suspended sentence and a deferred imposition, meaning the conviction will be removed from his public record if he successfully completes probation.
He was initially facing two felony charges: corruption or solicitation of a minor and dissemination of obscene materials.
Leah Viste, an assistant Cass County state's attorney, said she was willing to amend to a lesser charge in part because Meyer has no previous criminal history. She said she also spoke to the victim before agreeing to the plea deal.
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Meyer will not be required to register as a sex offender, as the contact was consensual and he had no prior record, Viste said.
After being charged, the 119th Wing of the Air National Guard temporarily removed Meyer from his post as the unit's medical group commander, Capt. Penny Ripperger said.
Since then, Meyer has retired from the Air Guard, Ripperger said.
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead and the Herald are both Forum Communications Co. newspapers.
