Britt man accused of sexual abuse, incest enters into plea agreement

BRITT —  A Britt man originally facing 12 sexual abuse-related counts has entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors.

73-year-old Paul Dewitt was charged in August with six counts of third-degree sexual abuse and six counts of incest. He’s accused of sexually abusing a female victim six times between July and December of last year. Court documents state that Dewitt admitted to authorities to committing the sexual acts.

Dewitt’s trial was scheduled to start today, but he has entered an Alford plea to three counts of third-degree sexual abuse, a Class C felony. An Alford plea means the defendant is not admitting guilt but acknowledges there’s enough evidence for a likely conviction. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend ten-year sentences to be served consecutively for a total of 30 years, while lawyers for Dewitt are expected to ask for a 20-year sentence.

Dewitt is scheduled to be sentenced on January 7th in Hancock County District Court.