Sex offender from Utah convicted of having sex with girl he met on MySpace

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A sex offender from Utah has been convicted of having sex with a 14-year-old southern Wisconsin girl he met on MySpace.

Joseph Hickerson, 33, Salt Lake City, struck a plea deal Thursday in Dane County.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of child sexual assault, repeated sex assault of a child, and using a computer to facilitate a sex crime.

Child pornography charges were dropped.

Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi ordered a pre-sentence investigation.

Hickerson could have faced life in prison under Wisconsin’s two strikes and you’re out law.

But prosecutors decided not to charge him as a repeat offender.

According to authorities, Hickerson first gave his young victim a false name on the Internet and said he was 17, and then 19, and 25.

Police arrested him last June in Stoughton, where they found him with the 14-year-old while investigating a report of sleeping at a school playground.

He tried to run away, but a resident tackled him.

Tags: sex offender, wisconsin, myspace, utah