Canadian man pleads guilty in sex sting case

A Canadian man accused of traveling to Montana from Canada to engage in sexual activity with a minor changed his plea in Federal Court on Thursday.

Ruben Friesen, 34, pleaded guilty to travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual contact with a minor, according to court records. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and up to a lifetime of supervised release.

The plea deal calls for a specific disposition of 20 months of incarceration through an agreement made between prosecutors and the defense. The documents says there is no agreed upon fine or amount of supervised release in this case. The agreement also says Friesen has the right to withdraw his plea and continue to trial if the court rejects the recommended sentence. The deal also calls for Friesen to register as a sex offender.

According to previous Tribune reports, Friesen was arrested last January after police made initial contact with him at a gas station just outside Great Falls. The Great Falls Police Department reported that Friesen responded to an Internet posting he thought was advertising for sex with a minor female.