Advertisement Commonwealth attorney responds to questions about Florence man's plea deal Man pleads guilty to 17 counts of sodomy, rape against minors under 16 Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A Boone County man who pleaded guilty to 17 counts of sodomy and rape against minors under 16 years old is expected to leave jail next Friday after serving 150 days behind bars.As part of a plea agreement, Christopher Lieberum, 24, was sentenced to five years probated, with the condition he serve 150 days in jail and pay a $1,000 fine. Lieberum pleaded guilty to 13 counts of third-degree rape and 4 counts of third-degree sodomy.Watch this storyThe prosecutor’s office responded Tuesday evening to WLWT News 5's questions about Christopher Lieberum’s plea deal.Commonwealth Attorney Linda Tally Smith told WLWT News 5 that she cannot comment on this case because of another pending prosecution, but she contends the sentence in this case is not 150 days in jail and then five years’ probation.Rather, Tally Smith said the sentence is five years in prison, but Lieberum will serve 150 days and then be on probation, on multiple conditions, for the rest.Tally Smith also added that resolution of the Lieberum case was a negotiated resolution, which she stated was not atypical in this type of case.Tally Smith said via email, “The offers made in connection with every case we prosecute (more than a 1,000 felony cases per year in Boone County alone) are made based upon: the strength and sufficiency of the evidence, the credibility of the witnesses, the availability or admissibility of physical evidence corroborating witness statements, the offender’s criminal history or lack thereof, and a balancing of the risks and impact of trying the case on the victims and/or witnesses who would be expected to testify. Those very same factors were all utilized and weighed as plea negotiations took place in this case.”Tally Smith also wrote, “In a negotiated plea, the Commonwealth is merely making a recommendation to the Court. The Court followed the negotiated resolution, which it would not have done if it believed that the sentence was inappropriate for the offenses charged after considering a Pre-Sentence Investigation Report and a Comprehensive Sex Offender Presentence Evaluation, as required by law.”The father of one of the victims said he was outraged that his 15-year-old daughter fell victim to Lieberum.WLWT News 5 did not identify the father because his daughter is the victim of sex crimes.He said Lieberum's punishment was not only a slap on the wrist but a slap to his daughter's face."This guy is going to be out there walking the streets, while all these victims are still depressed, going through what they're going through. They have to live with this for the rest of their lives while this guy walks the streets a free man,” he said. “This guy should not be walking the street. He’s a dangerous individual. He shouldn't be walking the street, and you give him 150 days (minus) time served? I mean, what is that?”He told WLWT News 5 that the family was never notified about court dates, but Tally Smith said all victims’ families were notified and none of them said they were dissatisfied with the handling of the case.Lieberum will have to register as a sex offender for life.