New plea deal being discussed in child sex abuse case
Court proceedings for a couple accused of child sexual abuse have been delayed while a plea deal is being negotiated.
Attorneys for both Todd Sabb-Visga, 47 and Austin Sabb-Visga, 30, requested the adjournment Monday afternoon, telling Circuit Court Judge Michael West they were close to reaching a plea deal with the St. Clair County Prosecutor's Office.
Brian Thomas and Joseph Kanan, public defenders representing Todd and Austin, respectively, both said the plea deals would also encompass the federal charges against their clients, if a deal was reached.
West agreed to adjourn the case, saying a deal was preferable to taking the case to trial.
Austin and Todd Sabb-Visga were arrested in June after an investigation by Michigan State Police reportedly found evidence the two had sexually abused children. The married couple previously owned Smith's Creek Equestrian Center, a horse stable in Kimball Township.
Todd Sabb-Visga was charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, while Austin Sabb-Visga was charged with four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. They were both charged in federal court on multiple counts of sexual exploitation of children and distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography.
Details of what sort of agreement the plea deal may include were not mentioned during either defendant's hearings.
Both Todd and Austin Sabb-Visga previously rejected plea deals that would have required them to plead guilty to two counts each of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. The sentences would have been served consecutively, meaning both defendants would face a minimum of 50 years in prison.
"My client is 47 with no (prior convictions). Fifty years is a death sentence," Thomas said at the time.
Both defendants are continuing to undergo a competency evaluation. The couple each filed a notice in October indicating they intended to argue innocence by insanity.
A new plea hearing deadline has been set for May 13. If a deal is not reached, a trial is scheduled to begin May 21.
Contact Johnathan Hogan at jhogan@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: New plea deal being discussed in child sex abuse case
