A local man entered a guilty plea in Logan Circuit Court recently right before his trial was scheduled to start.

Timothy Scott Hubert, 38, of Holden, was scheduled to go to trial on Oct. 14 for multiple sex crime charges in what was expected to be a very long trial. However, at the last minute, Hubert agreed to enter a guilty plea.

Hubert was represented by local attorney Mark Hobbs while Betty Gregory acted as Guardian Ad Litem for the victims. They and prosecutor Jerry R. White went before Circuit Judge Eric O'Briant to work out a plea agreement.

According to court documents, "the state advised the court that a plea agreement had been reached between the parties subject to the court's approval wherein the state recommended to the court that the defendant be allowed to enter guilty pleas to five counts of felony first-degree sexual abuse.

The sentence for each count is not less than one, nor more than five years or fined not more than ten thousand dollars and imprisoned in a state correctional facility not less than one year nor more than five years.

"Whereupon the court inquired of the defendant and his council whether or not this was in fact the plea agreement and the court was advised by counsel for the defendant as well as the defendant this was the plea agreement and that the defendant had affixed his signature to the same."

The documentation also states the defendant was advised of the charges pending against him and of the maximum penalties or same. The court accepted pleas for five counts of sexual abuse in the first degree and found the defendant "guilty of the same."

The court decreed that the defendant has to register as a sex offender prior to his release from prison. Hubert was remanded into the custody of Court Marshall Tom Fink following the hearing, whereupon he was transported to the Southwestern Regional Jail at Holden at 12:39 p.m. on Oct. 14. He is scheduled to return to Logan County Circuit Court on Nov. 14 at 10 a.m. for sentencing.