No jail time for Rochester man in child sexual assault case
Oct. 24—ROCHESTER — A 68-year-old Rochester man accused of sexually assaulting a boy will avoid jail time following a plea deal with prosecutors.
Randall Roger Ash was initially charged with felony first- and second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13 years old. A judge sentenced him to two years of probation on Monday, Oct. 24.
A May plea deal with the Olmsted County Attorney's Office allowed Ash to plead guilty to a lesser fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct charge, which carried a presumed stayed 18-month sentence.
Judge Lisa Hayne ordered a stay of adjudication in the case, per the plea deal, meaning that if Ash complies with his probation, no conviction will be on his record. The court reserves the right to sentence Ash to prison if he violates his probation.
While on probation, Ash is barred from having contact with the child he sexually assaulted, the child's family or vulnerable adults. He is also barred from having any positions of authority over any children or from frequenting locations where children congregate, though he is allowed to drop off his grandchildren each morning.
In addition to his other restrictions, Ash may not use the internet without approval by probation and he must attend a sex offender program. He will not have to register as a sex offender.
According to the criminal complaint:
The Rochester Police Department began investigating Ash in June of 2021 a family member of the boy reported the sexual assault to police.
During a forensic interview with the boy, it was discovered that Ash had sexually assaulted the child when the child was in third grade, about four to five years before the assault was reported.
Ash sexually assaulted the boy during a sleepover at a Rochester residence where Ash was living.
He denied assaulting the child when questioned by police. The child picked Ash's photo as the person who sexually assaulted him out of a photo lineup.
