Lake Mills man already serving prison time for sexual abuse pleads guilty to new charge

MASON CITY — A Lake Mills man already spending 20 years in prison on sexual abuse convictions has pleaded guilty in a different sexual abuse case.

23-year-old Benjamin Monson was convicted in the fall of 2020 on two counts of third-degree sexual abuse after a pair of different incidents in Mason City in 2019. Court documents stated the incidents happened at two different locations, with one of the female victims being unconscious and physically helpless at the time, with the other being forced against her will. Monson was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

A new Class B-level second-degree sexual abuse charge was filed in June in Cerro Gordo County District Court, accusing Monson of performing sexual acts with a victim under the age of 12 at a Mason City residence in April 2018.

Monson originally pleaded not guilty to the new sexual abuse charge, but according to a plea agreement filed on Monday, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of third-degree sexual abuse, a Class C felony. Prosecutors will recommend a ten year prison sentence to run consecutive to his current prison term.

Court records did not immediately show a sentencing date for Monson.