A Country Club Village man entered a no-contest plea on Tuesday to charges stemming from a sexual assault case in Hiawatha, Kansas.

Russell Dafford, 20, is back behind bars in the Brown County Jail awaiting sentencing in November.  Mr Dafford entered a no-contest plea Tuesday to a reduced charge of aggravated sexual battery.  He was originally charged with aggravated criminal sodomy.

Hiawatha police were able to link Mr Dafford to the crime by examining several cellular telephones.  They found several text messages sent to the victim in the case.  A judge revoked Mr Dafford’s bond and scheduled sentencing November 16.

The charge is a severity level five person felony under Kansas statutes.  It carries a range of sentences of from 31 months to 136 months, depending on the defendant’s prior criminal record.  Mr Dafford will also be required to register as a sex offender, and faces lifetime supervision after his release from prison.