Vernon Center man who sexually assaulted relative sentenced to work release

A Vernon Center man who sexually assaulted a relative has been sentenced to work release.

Robert Dale Jones, 57, was convicted of felony 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct earlier this month in Blue Earth County Court.  A charge of 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct was dismissed as part of a plea deal.

District Court Judge Mark E. Betters stayed a three-year prison sentence for seven years and sentenced Jones to 220 days in the Blue Earth County Jail, with credit for five days already served.  A sentencing order says Jones will serve 220 days on work release.

Jones is required to register as a predatory offender and is not allowed contact with persons under the age of 18.

In March 2021, a girl reported to police that Jones, a relative, had forced her to touch him sexually, fondled her, and raped her on a camping trip.