Austin man sentenced to prison time on two felony criminal sexual conduct charges in Mower County District Court

An Austin man who was charged after a teenage girl told authorities that he had been sexually assaulting her frequently from the age of 5 until January of 2020 has been sentenced to prison time in Mower County District Court.

24-year-old Colin Charles Belden was sentenced Friday to 48 months, or four years in prison for a felony charge of 2nd degree criminal sexual conduct, child under 13 years of age.  Belden first pleaded guilty to the charge on September 13th, 2021, and he was convicted on January 7th, 2022.  Two felony counts of attempted 1st degree criminal sexual conduct with a child under 13 years of age, an additional felony charge of 2nd degree criminal sexual conduct, child under 13 years of age and two felony counts of 2nd degree criminal sexual conduct, significant relationship, child under 16 years of age, multiple acts in the case against Belden were dismissed with his guilty plea.

Belden was also sentenced Friday to 48 months, or four years in prison for a felony charge of 3rd degree criminal sexual conduct, victim 13-15 years of age, actor more than 24 months older.  Belden first pleaded guilty to the charge on August 22nd, 2019, and he was convicted on December 20th of the same year.  Additional felony charges of solicit child to engage in sexual conduct, solicit a child through electronic communication to engage in sexual conduct, engage in electronic communication relating or describing sexual conduct with a child, and for distributing via electronic communication material that relates to sexual conduct to a child in the case against Belden were dismissed with his guilty plea, and Judge Kevin Siefken determined that Belden will be able to serve the two prison sentences concurrently.