RIPLEY COUNTY, Ind. -- The former mayor of a rural Indiana town pleaded guilty Wednesday on charges from August 2015 of patronizing a prostitute.
Richard Fledderman, 61, formally resigned two weeks after his arrest. He is accused of paying for sex acts with Indianapolis man Randy Wigle-Stevens, 43, in June 2015.
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Fledderman's case has been pending in the court, and the trial was set for this week, but there will not be a trial after all. He pleaded guilty at Wednesday's hearing.
Wigle-Stevens has also pleaded guilty to charges of prostitution, intimidation and failure to disclose dangerous communicable disease status.
Officials said Wigle-Stevens didn't tell Fledderman about his HIV status before they engaged in sex acts, and Wigle-Stevens also reportedly blackmailed Fledderman after the encounter.
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When he resigned, Fledderman released the following statement:
“It is with great regret that I must step down as mayor of Batesville, a city that I have been privileged to serve for two decades. I am truly sorry for my actions and for the hurt I have caused my family and community as a result. It is my hope that the City of Batesville can move forward under new leadership while I take this time to focus on my health, my family and my friends whom I love very deeply.”
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