BLUE EARTH - A Blue Earth man pleaded guilty Monday to criminal sexual conduct with a child.

Bryan Wayne Jones, 39, was facing a June 4-5 jury trial.

Jones was charged in March after a school social worker reported a 15-year-old girl was receiving inappropriate text messages from Jones and that a 16-year-old had received flowers from him three times at school.

Explicit photos of the 16-year-old allegedly were found on Jones' phone, and the girl reportedly had sex with him.

Public defender Bill Grogin announced in court Monday that Jones agreed to plead guilty to two of three charges he faced, on the condition that the state not request more than the minimum sentence of 48 months in jail. The second charge involved felony possession of pornographic work.

"That still leaves it open to the (victim's) family to request more," Grogin added.

As part of the agreement, Jones was released Monday until sentencing. The third charge - exhibiting, selling, printing, offering or giving obscene material - was dismissed.

Judge Douglas Richards accepted the plea. But first, Jones was required to tell the court what happened.

Roverud said Jones met the 16-year-old through his daughter about a year ago. Jones agreed. He began taking the two on camping trips - twice.

"You began to develop a friendship," Roverud said, adding that in law enforcement interviews Jones thought of her in a father-daughter relationship.

Jones corrected that the teen thought of him as a father-figure. Eventually, Jones began sending flowers. Jones took the girl from her home in Winnebago to school in Blue Earth, and one day they stopped along the way and had intercourse. Jones said he didn't know exactly where, but some place between the two towns.

Roverud asked if it was before that incident or after that the teen sent the explicit photo messages. Jones said it was after.

"And keeping those texts was obscene material?" Roverud questioned.

Jones agreed.

Judge Richards wanted confirmation from Jones regarding statements made to police regarding the girl seeing him as a father-figure - which would show he was in a position of authority.

Roverud pointed to a statement in which Jones said the teen felt comfortable talking about sexual things with Jones that she couldn't talk about with her parents. The officer interviewing Jones then asked how the girl felt about Jones - just as a friend or maybe more. Jones said in the interview that she viewed him as a father-figure.

Jones is not to have contact with any female under age 18 other than immediate family and is not to consume alcohol or mood-altering substances not prescribed by a licensed physician.

Jones now faces a pre-sentence investigation. He should be sentenced within 30 days its completion.