Rock Rapids, Iowa — The case against a Rock Rapids man who was facing a felony sex abuse charge after an alleged incident about a year ago in Rock Rapids — has been dismissed.
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office reports that they arrested 19-year-old Trysten Robinson of Rock Rapids on an active warrant for Sexual Abuse in the 3rd Degree. Robinson’s arrest was made following an investigation into the alleged incident.
Robinson, who is now 20, was 19 at the time, and was accused of sexual contact with a girl who was 14 years old at the time of the incident.
According to court records, the defense moved to have a confession obtained in a conversation between Robinson and a Lyon County Sheriff’s Deputy dismissed from evidence. Judge Patrick Carr said in his ruling that the state Supreme Court has routinely stated that “confession can never be received in evidence where the prisoner has been influenced by any threat or promise.” Judge Carr said he believed the deputy crossed that line during the interview, a transcript of which was included in the ruling.
After the ruling that the confession was inadmissible, Lyon County Attorney Shayne Mayer filed a motion to dismiss the charges because, “it now appears that there is insufficient evidence available to convict the Defendant…” The County Attorney’s office says the charges were dismissed without prejudice, which means if more evidence becomes available the case can be reopened.
Sexual abuse in the Third Degree is a class C felony. According to Iowa Code, Robinson could have faced up to ten years in prison and a fine of between a thousand and ten thousand dollars if he had been convicted.
