A Level 3 sex offender accused of sexually abusing a child under 11, less than four months after being released from prison, turned down a plea offer today that would have given him the minimum sentence available under statute.
Ronald Smith, 18, last of 679 E. Main St., Batavia, turned down both plea offers.
Smith is charged with three counts of sexual abuse and failure to register a change of address.
The two sets of charges have been separated and today was the plea cutoff for the failure to register charge.
By turning down the plea offer, Smith will go to trial on the failure to register charge on June 20.
The offer was for one-and-a-half to two years in state prison on the failure to register charge and five years minimum on the sex abuse charges with the sentences served concurrently.
After Smith's attorney, Public Defender Gary Horton, told District Attorney Lawrence Friedman that Smith wouldn't accept the offer, Friedman offered one-and-half to three years on the failure to register charge.
Today, Smith turned down that offer with an admonishment from Judge Robert Noonan that once he walked out of the court there would be no second chance to accept the offer. His case would proceed to trial.
No court date has been set yet for the sexual abuse charges.
