A Liberty Township man has been sentenced to six years in the Department of Corrections after pleading guilty in January to one count of sexual misconduct with a minor.

Porter Superior Judge Bill Alexa sentenced Brian J. Norlington, 48, to 10 years, four of them suspended, in connection with an incident at Norlington’s home in April 2007, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Cheryl Polarek told the Chesterton Tribune today.

Norlington will be eligible for release from prison after serving three years.

According to the Porter County Sheriff’s Police, the parents of a teenaged girl reported that Norlington had initiated sexual contact with their daughter on April 13 while she was staying at Norlington’s home at 915 Tiller Drive to watch his younger children while his wife was out of town.

The victim advised that Norlington provided her with alcohol and marijuana prior to initiating contact, police said. The victim later returned home and reported the incident to her mother, and in an interview with an investigator Norlington subsequently admitted having had sexual contact with the girl, police said.

Sexual misconduct with a minor is a Class B felony, punishable by a term of six to 20 years in prison. Under Indiana Code, the advisory sentence—formerly called the “presumptive”—is 10 years. Alexa gave Norlington the advisory sentence but suspended four of them, which Norlington will serve through the Department of Probation. Norlington has no previous criminal history, Polarek said.

As a condition of his plea, Norlington will be required to register as a sex offender, submit to HIV testing, undergo treatment, and make restitution to the victim, paying any bills incurred, for example, for therapy. He will also be prohibited from having any contact with the victim. In return for Norlington’s plea a misdemeanor count, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, was withdrawn, Polarek said.

Posted 5/1/2008