Greencastle man, 68, accepts plea deal in molestation case

Thursday, August 9, 2012

A Putnam County man might be 80 years old or more by the time he gets out of prison after accepting a plea agreement in a child molestation case.

During a change of plea hearing Thursday morning in Putnam Circuit Court, Frank Nuz, 68, Greencastle, agreed to plead guilty to one Class C felony count of child molestation and a single charge of criminal deviate conduct with a child younger than 14.

Those were two of eight counts the Putnam County Prosecutor's Office filed against Nuz after his May 18 arrest by detectives from the Indiana State Police Criminal Investigation Division at the Putnamville Post.

The child molestation charge carries a 20-year sentence, while the deviate conduct charge carries a four-year prison term.

Potentially Nuz could have to serve 20 or more years, Judge Matthew Headley reminded the defendant before he accepted the plea agreement. Even with Indiana's two days-for-one good-time credit and concurrent sentencing, Nuz would still be looking at 10 years under the agreement.

The judge also reminded Nuz that accepting the plea deal meant the Greencastle man would have a felony conviction on his record and be included for life on the sexual offender registry.

Authorities allege Nuz molested two young relatives on multiple occasions at his Greencastle residence between Jan. 1 and May 18 this year.

Nuz was originally charged with two counts of child molesting as a Class A felony; three counts of child molesting as a Class C felony; two counts of incest, a Class B felony; and one count of child solicitation, a Class D felony.

Nuz was represented in court by public defender Sid Tongret.

Following Thursday hearing, Nuz was remanded to the custody of the Putnam County Sheriff's Department, pending a 9 a.m. sentencing hearing on Sept. 6.

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