By BILL POWELL

bpowell@dcherald.com



JASPER — The case involving a Huntingburg dentist and his wife accused of criminal confinement and neglect in October 2017 was settled Friday in Crawford Circuit Court with a plea agreement.



Alan P. Friz, 59, and Aimee R. Friz, 39, both of 5275 West 700S, Huntingburg, each entered pleas to two counts of neglect of a dependent as Level 6 felonies with convictions entered as Class A misdemeanors, according to the Dubois County Prosecutor’s Office.



Dubois Circuit Court Judge Nathan Verkamp accepted the plea agreement that a press release from the prosecutor’s office said will require the couple “to accept some level of responsibility for their actions and will require the [couple] to be supervised for a period of time.”



The couple was originally charged with 11 felony counts of neglect and 11 felony counts of criminal confinement after authorities allegedly located a closet area of a bedroom in their home that had been converted into a lockable cage for a female juvenile. Alan Friz was then additionally charged with four felony counts of sexual misconduct with a minor after allegations of improper touching surfaced.



The case had been slated for trial in Crawford County in March.



“Although this plea clearly represents a lenient resolution for the defendants in light of the severity of the charges filed against them, this plea was offered with the input of the victim, her guardians, and others working closely with her,” according to the prosecutor’s press release.



Prosecutor Anthony D. Quinn, after a long period of discussion and consultation with the victim, felt it was vital to close the case so that the victim can move forward with her life, according to the press release.



“It was a difficult decision to offer this plea, difficult as a prosecutor and for the law enforcement officers who worked hard to build a solid case against the Friz’s,” Quinn said in the release. “Nevertheless, the case ultimately is about the victim.



“We felt continuing the trauma she has endured while this case has been pending, and by having to testify to a jury does not serve her best interests,” Quinn said. “I hope the victim continues to thrive in her new environment and continues on the path of healing.”



The plea agreement sentenced each defendant to 730 days in county jail with a jail credit of six days and 718 days suspended to probation monitored by the Crawford County Probation Department. The first 353 days will be supervised probation with the remaining time unsupervised probation for each party.



Both parties are to have no contact with the victim, according to the sentencing order.