The Greene County Attorney brought to light some of the factors that led to the negotiated plea agreement against a Jefferson man who is accused of sexually abusing his sister.

Court documents show 21-year-old Noah Exline’s defense attorney and the prosecuting Iowa Attorney General’s office agreed that if Exline were to enter a guilty plea to the amended charge of an aggravated misdemeanor for indecent contact with a child, the state would dismiss all other charges. According to court documents, both parties agreed to recommend a suspended two-year prison sentence and a three-year probation period with the Iowa Department of Corrections.

Greene County Attorney Thomas Laehn says one of the factors that led to the negotiated plea deal was that the majority of the incidents of abuse took place when Exline was a minor. Laehn also pointed out that Exline provided key testimony against his step-brother Patrick Thompson, without which Laehn says they may not have gotten a guilty conviction by jury of Thompson for two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and arson for his role in the house fire that killed Exline’s sister Paige and her cousin Shakiah Cockerham in May of 2017.

Exline was one of five potential cases that were slated to go to jury trial on Tuesday. Laehn points out the next day, he also plea negotiated three other cases where he got the suspects to agree to a six-month, one-year and ten-year jail sentences.

Court records show that a plea hearing has been scheduled for Exline at the Greene County Courthouse on February 4th. Raccoon Valley Radio will bring you more information as it becomes official.