Cherokee, Iowa — A former Cherokee High School teacher has been sentenced in a case in which he was accused of sexually exploiting a minor.
Court records indicate 46-year-old Joseph Vannatta pleaded guilty in July to a revised lesser charge of Harassment, which is an aggravated misdemeanor. Vannatta received a two-year suspended jail sentence. He’ll be on probation for two years. He also received a five-year no-contact order with the victim, and will have to pay state fines. In July, the state prosecutor said they were no longer seeking jail time as part of the plea deal.
Vannatta was initially charged with Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee, which is a class D felony. With that charge, he faced up to five years in prison. Vannatta initially pleaded not guilty, and had asked for the case to be dismissed.
As part of the plea filing change, both sides agreed that the facts of the case did not constitute a sexually motivated offense.
(Courtesy Community First Broadcasting station KAYL in Storm Lake)
