Charles City man gets suspended sentence, probation and lifetime supervision for sex crime

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A Charles City man who pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual abuse was sentenced to a suspended prison term and suspended fine and placed on probation.

Chad David Holding, age 41, was accused of forcing a young teenage girl to touch him sexually several times in early 2020. Third-degree sexual abuse is a Class C felony.

Holding entered an Alford plea of guilty in March, meaning he agrees that the prosecution has enough evidence to convince a jury of his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, but he does not admit guilt. The criminal record impact is the same as pleading guilty.

On Monday, District Court Judge Rustin Davenport sentenced Holding to an indeterminate term in prison of up to 10 years, fully suspended, and a $1,000 fine plus 15% surcharge, also fully suspended, but he required Holding to pay a $90 sexual abuse surcharge and other fees.

He ordered Holding to be placed on probation under the Iowa Department of Correctional Services for three to five years, and to register on the Iowa Sexual Offender Registry.

Davenport also sentenced Holding to Iowa’s Special Sentence for sexual offenders, which places him under the supervision of the Department of Correctional Services for life once the originally imposed sentence is completed.

The judge also extended a no-contact order with the victim in the case for five years.