A Laramie man changed his plea on Tuesday on an amended felony charge of sexual abuse of a minor in the third degree. 
Corwin Bernard, 22 years old, faced three to five years imprisonment in 2011 after a guilty conviction on one charge of accessory before the fact to third degree arson; however, he now faces up to 15 years imprisonment and up to a $10,000 fine in a case where he admitted he had sexual relations with a 13-year-old girl.
Judge Jeffrey Donnell described to Bernard other consequences he would face if he pleaded guilty in an April 9 arraignment.
“This is a sex charge and will require registration as a sex offender,” Donnell said. “I believe that is a lifetime, and what that means, is that your picture’s out there on the Internet for everybody to see as is your address, your license plate and the description of the vehicle that you drive. Neighbors will be warned whenever you move into the neighborhood. They’ll all know about you too. Pretty onerous stuff.”
In the April 9 arraignment, Bernard attempted to plead guilty to the third degree sex abuse charges, but he claimed he was under the assumption the minor was 17. Donnell said he could not accept the plea with the claim Bernard was unaware of the girl’s age.
“I guess we’re going to have us a trial and it’s going to be on the three original charges,” Donnell said. “And Mr. Bernard will be looking at 60 years rather than 15. I can’t accept the plea at this point.”
In his change of plea hearing on Tuesday, Bernard admitted to knowing the girl’s age. He originally faced three counts of second degree sexual abuse of a minor before the felony information was amended to a single charge of sexual abuse of a minor in the third degree.
The charges stem from interactions Bernard had with a 13-year-old Laramie Junior High student starting on Facebook Messenger and on Snapchat. The victim told police she had gone to Bernard’s house several times and she had sexual intercourse with him three to five times. Bernard told police he uses Facebook Messenger “to speak to a lot of females.”
Bernard’s sentencing date is pending.
