Nye withdraws guilty pleas

BRYAN NYE

BY STACI WILSON

A Montrose man admitted in court in November to committing two felony sex acts with a minor but withdrew those guilty pleas Thursday and is now heading to trial.

Bryan Lewis Nye, 39, had pleaded guilty in Susquehanna County Court to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and aggravated indecent assault in connection with the alleged assault of a 15-year-old girl in 2009.

The Susquehanna County Independent does not identify the victims of sexual assault.

Now, District Attorney Jason Legg said, the man will be prosecuted on all of the charges originally filed against him.

Nye heads to trial in June facing six felony sex charges, including two counts of rape.

He will also face a batch of new charges related to the case, Legg said.

Police are expected to press flight to avoid apprehension or prosecution and victim/witness intimidation charges against Nye.

Nye eluded police capture from March to July of last year and only turned himself to authorities in exchange for the drop of charges lodged in April against one of his girlfriends.

Stacy Edwards, of Nicholson, had been charged with hindering apprehension or prosecution.

Legg said Nye fled from police in March 2010 after he learned the sex assault charges would be leveled against him.

The intimidation charge stems from an alleged incident involving Nye’s other girlfriend, Carrie Lee Blanton, in July.

Blanton was brought up on charges for attempting to get the victim to drop the allegations against Nye.

Legg told the court that Blanton is now willing to testify that Nye was involved in the intimidation attempt.

Blanton pleaded guilty in December to a felony count of hindering prosecution. She was sentenced to 24 months probation.

Legg said part of Blanton’s plea agreement included cooperation with the prosecution’s case against Nye if necessary.

At the time of the alleged 2009 assault, Nye was on probation on an indecent assault charge in connection with a 2006 incident.

Legg asked that Nye be sentenced immediately for violating his probation and asked the court to send the man to a state facility.

President Judge Kenneth Seamans sentenced Nye to serve one to two years in a state prison, with credit for time served. The indecent assault charge carries a 2 year maximum sentence.

Because Nye has spent the past seven months in the county jail credit for time served will be shaved off the one to two year indecent assault sentence.