MASON CITY — A Mason City man has pleaded not guilty to sexual abuse charges.
Criminal complaints accuse 42-year-old Nicholas Rhodes of twice committing a sexual act with a 15-year-old child at his residence in between May of last year and January of this year. The complaints also say Rhodes allegedly performed acts in person and through text messages to attempt to seduce, lure, or entice a child to engage in unlawful sexual conduct.
Rhodes has been charged with two counts of third-degree sexual abuse, each a Class C felony punishable by up to ten years in prison, as well as one count of grooming, a Class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
Rhodes was due in court for his arraignment hearing today, but court records show that he filed a written plea of not guilty on Friday in Cerro Gordo County District Court. A trial date was not immediately scheduled.
