Livingston Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Crimes, LIVINGSTON, July 26, 2021 - Bryan Christopher Wylie, age 29 of Livingston was sentenced by 411th District Judge John Wells to a total of fifty years in prison after pleading “guilty” to two felony sexual offenses against minors in the 411th District Court of Polk County on Monday. Pursuant to a plea agreement between defense counsel and Polk County prosecutors, Wells sentenced Wylie to thirty years in prison for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child, a first-degree felony; and twenty years in prison for Indecency with Child by Contact, a second-degree felony. According to Polk County District Attorney Lee Hon, Wylie will be required to serve half of the sentences day for day before he may be considered for parole. “With two offenses involving different victims, in all likelihood Wylie will have a difficult time ever being granted parole,” Hon added.
The charge of Indecency with a Child stemmed from a January 1, 2018 New Year’s party incident in Polk County where Wylie approached a 13 year old female victim and touched her in a sexual manner after directing lewd sexual comments toward her. An adult family member of the victim observed a portion of the encounter and ordered Wylie to leave the gathering. Later that evening, multiple members of the victim’s family confronted Wylie at his residence regarding his improper advances toward the victim. One member of the victim’s family punched Wylie in the nose.
Following a Sheriff’s Department investigation into this offense by Wylie including a forensic interview of the victim at Childrenz Haven, Polk County’s child advocacy center, Wylie was arrested for Indecency with Child. Subsequent to Wylie posting bond on that charge, in March of 2020 Polk County Sheriff’s Investigators were notified that a ten year old female reported to her mother that she too had been molested by Wylie prior to his first arrest. An investigation into this allegation included an interview of the victim at Childrenz Haven and a medical examination. On May 14, 2020 Wylie was charged with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child against the second victim and arrested again. Bonds totaling $150,000 were set on both charges. Wylie remained in jail. In a March, 2020 Wells denied a motion by Wylie’s attorney to reduce the bond amounts and set the trial for July 26th.
“We were prepared to go to trial on these cases when I was approached by defense counsel last week regarding a possible guilty plea by the defendant,” Hon stated. “After discussions with both victims and their families, we felt that the proposed sentences would allow both of these girls to close these difficult chapters of their lives and move forward with healing,” Hon added. As a condition of the plea agreement, Wylie elected to waive his right to appeal either sentence thereby effectively closing both cases. “These were both very brave young girls who, because they chose to come forward, likely prevented Wylie from victimizing others,” Hon noted. “Both of these cases were well investigated by our Sheriff’s Department utilizing resources available through Childrenz Haven and CHI St. Lukes,” Hon added. “That allows us, as prosecutors, to be in a good position to either try these cases before a jury or work them out short of trial but with substantial prison sentences without requiring these young victims to testify,” Hon concluded.
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