Mason City man sent to prison for ten years on sexual abuse charges

MASON CITY — It’s ten years in prison for a Mason City man accused of sexually abusing a minor over a decade ago.

67-year-old Rodney Askildson was charged in 2020 with second-degree sexual abuse and third-degree sexual abuse. A victim that is currently in her mid-20s stated to authorities that Askildson sexually abused her when she was 11-years-old in February 2007 and when she was 13-years-old in June 2009.

Askildson also faced charges of invasion of privacy from an April 2018 incident and indecent exposure from a January 2020 incident.

Askildson in January entered Alford pleas to one count of third-degree sexual abuse, a Class C felony, as well as invasion of privacy, an aggravated misdemeanor. With an Alford plea, a person does not admit guilt but acknowledges there is enough evidence for a likely conviction.

District Judge Gregg Rosenbladt this week sentenced Askildson to ten years in prison on the sexual abuse charge and two years on the invasion of privacy charge, with the sentences to be served at the same time.