Clear Lake man sentenced to 80 years in prison on sexual abuse, distributing drugs near school property charges

CLEAR LAKE — It’s 80 years in prison for a Clear Lake man who pleaded guilty to sexual abuse and distributing drugs near school property.

34-year-old Christian Vorland was accused of providing methamphetamine to someone under the age of 15 on three occasions between July and September 2022 and one other time in April of last year. He was also accused of soliciting a juvenile female into committing prostitution in exchange for meth.

Vorland is also accused of sexually abusing a victim between 14 and 15 years old five times between July 2022 and June of last year, and punching a victim in the face on June 8th of last year. Court documents accuse Vorland of committing all the crimes at a home on 10th Avenue North that was within 1000 feet of school property.

Vorland was originally charged with four counts of distributing a drug near a school, each count a Class B felony punishable by 25 years in prison; five counts of third-degree sexual abuse and one count of pimping, each a Class C felony; and one count of assault causing bodily injury, a serious misdemeanor.

As part of a plea agreement, he agreed to plead guilty to three counts of third-degree sexual abuse and two counts of distributing drugs near school property to a minor. He also entered an Alford plea to one count of assault causing bodily injury. With an Alford plea, a person does not admit guilt but acknowledges there is enough evidence for a likely conviction.

District Judge DeDra Schroeder on Monday sentenced Vorland to 25 years in prison on each of the drug charges and ten years in prison on the sexual abuse charges, with the sentences to be served consecutively. Vorland must serve the mandatory minimum sentence on the drug charges.

Schroeder issued a separate 30 day jail sentence on the assault charge, with credit for time already served.