On March 10, Leon Mead, 59, pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual solicitation by an HIV positive person, a third-degree felony. Mead was scheduled to appear before a jury on March 11 for the solicitation charge along with a second-degree felony charge of aggravated exploitation of prostitution. As per terms of the plea bargain, exploitation charges were dropped.
According to Carbon County Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Humes, the defendant agreed upon the guilty plea just prior to trial.
A pre-sentencing report was ordered by Seventh District Court Judge Douglas B. Thomas. In order to allow time for this report to be prepared, Judge Thomas scheduled sentencing for May 27.
Charges against Mead were filed following an incident on May 25, 2013. According to police reports, Mead approached a teenage boy and asked him to perform a sex act for an undisclosed amount of money. When the young man refused, Mead then increased the amount and asked for other favors. The youth quickly fled the scene and reported the incident to authorities.
Humes explained that because the victim was only 17 at the time of the incident, enhanced charges were filed.