Primghar, Iowa — A Sheldon man will serve a 10-year prison sentence for sexual abuse of a minor.
According to court records, 37-year-old Leuanglong Thongvilay of Sheldon was accused of sexually assaulting and inappropriately touching a 7-12-year-old victim on multiple occasions between 2015 and 2020. The acts are said to have occurred at Thongvilay’s Sheldon home.
He was originally charged with second degree sexual abuse, a class B felony. He also faced misdemeanor charges of indecent contact with a child and two counts of lascivious conduct with a minor.
In a plea agreement, Thongvilay entered an Alford plea to one count of third degree sexual abuse and one of indecent contact with a child. An Alford plea means that Thongvilay admitted no guilt, but agreed that there was evidence to convict him.
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and a suspended $1370 fine on the sexual abuse charge. He must also pay a civil penalty and will be on the sex offender registry for life. For the indecent contact charge, he was sentenced to a suspended two-year prison sentence and an $855 fine.
But, Thongvilay faced a similar charge in Woodbury County, along with a charge of distribution of a controlled substance. He received a ten-year prison term for third-degree sexual abuse there, and a five-year term for the controlled substance violation, which court documents say are to be served consecutively to each other, but at the same time as the O’Brien County sentence.
