Last November, three suspects were arrested and charged with child sex abuse that was believed to have spanned over a two-year period. Timothy and Amanda Romano were arrested Nov. 9 for sexually abusing as many as six children within their household over the span of two years. The following day, roommate Tyler Barney was also arrested in connection with the Romanos. Barney was charged with two counts of sexually abusing a child, a first-degree felony. Barney pleaded not guilty to the charges and a trial was set for Sept. 19.
Instead of a full trial on Wednesday, which could have sent Barney to prison for upwards of ten years if found guilty of both charges, a plea bargain was met. Barney pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual battery, a class A misdemeanor. Class A misdemeanors only carry the weight of up to a year in jail.