Plea deal in sex assault case

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A 25-year-old former Mountain View man pleaded guilty Wednesday to three offenses in connection with an alleged sexual assault of a woman last year in the Piihonua area of Hilo.

A 25-year-old former Mountain View man pleaded guilty Wednesday to three offenses in connection with an alleged sexual assault of a woman last year in the Piihonua area of Hilo.

Thomas Alexander Marsello, who now lives on Maui, pleaded guilty to first-degree unlawful imprisonment, second-degree reckless endangering and indecent exposure for the incident, which took place in late July 2014.

In return for his plea, prosecutors dropped two counts of first-degree sex assault and a single third-degree sex assault charge. Marsello was originally also charged with kidnapping, but that charged was reduced to unlawful imprisonment in a later complaint.

Hilo Circuit Judge Greg Nakamura ordered Marsello to appear for sentencing at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 3.

Marsello, who faces a possible five years incarceration on the unlawful imprisonment charge, is free on $100,000 bail.