Harold Lee Strickland Jr. was sentenced to a minimum of 33 months and a maximum of 49 months in state custody Monday in Bladen County Superior Court under an Alford plea on two counts of indecent liberties with a child.
Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt to the charges, but admits that evidence exists that may result in a judge or jury reaching a guilty verdict beyond a reasonable doubt if the case had gone to trial.
Judge James M. Webb also ordered Strickland to have no contact with the victims for the rest of his life and, upon release form custody, register as a sex offender for 30 years.
Strickland, who is 44 years old, was arrested March 31, 2015, in Wilmington on three counts of indecent liberties with a child and one count of first degree rape of a child. Both girls were eight years old at the time of incidents in 2010, assistant District Attorney Glenn Emery told the court.
In Emery’s court summary of the charges, he said that Strickland committed sex acts with the two victims in 2010. In both instances, Strickland were alone with the girls, pulled their pants and his pants down, and pressed against the girls.
Emery also read statements from one of the victims and her mother about how the incidents had affected their lives.
Strickland showed no emotion during the hearing.
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