A Knox man pleaded guilty in a negotiated plea agreement on a Level 1 Felony charge of child molesting.
Leland Fritter, 46, admitted to Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall that he performed sexual acts with his then-eight-year-old daughter on multiple occasions at his Knox home from April 14, 2018 to March 20, 2019.
While reviewing the pre-sentence investigation report compiled by the Starke County Probation Department, Judge Hall noted that Fritter does not have a prior criminal record which he noted was a mitigating factor, or a factor in his favor. Judge Hall went on to say that the aggravating factors far outweigh the single mitigating factor. He said the harm done to this young child will be with her for the rest of her life.
A plea agreement negotiated between Starke County Prosecuting Attorney Leslie Baker and Defense Attorney Blair Todd was accepted by Judge Hall. Fritter will serve 25 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections with no part of the sentence suspended. He will attend the Sex Offender Management and Monitoring (SOMM) program offered within the Indiana Department of Corrections. Fritter may petition the court to modify his sentence, depending on the likelihood of his completion of the SOMM program. Judge Hall noted that the court is not obligated to modify the sentence. It will be at the court’s discretion.
Prosecutor Baker stressed that the plea agreement was presented, in part, as the victim was terrified to testify in a trial setting. The victim and the victim’s representative were comfortable in moving forward with the agreement.
As part of the sentencing order, Fritter will have no contact with the victim throughout his entire 25-year sentence.
