CEDAR CITY — A former Brian Head Town Council member who pleaded guilty to a single count of sexual battery has been sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to write a letter of apology to the victim.
James Leslie Ortler, 76, was sentenced on Oct. 24 by 5th District Judge Matthew L. Bell. As part of the conditions of his sentence, Ortler also was required to resign as president of the Copper Chase Condominium Owners Association and from its board of directors. He handed in his keys, checkbook and other documents the following day, according to a document filed with the court.
The charge stemmed from an incident that reportedly occurred on or about Sept. 4, 2020, when Ortler asked a woman in her early 20s to drive him home after he had allegedly been drinking alcohol.
According to the probable cause statement, Ortler offered to let the woman sleep in his guest room for the night. Later, while the two were sitting in a hot tub, Ortler allegedly tried to kiss the woman and touched her “private areas” multiple times, according to the affidavit.
One week after the incident, the woman wrote Ortler an email indicating she was upset with him. According to the affidavit, Ortler didn’t respond to the email; however, several months later, when interviewed by police, he reportedly told the investigators he had written a response but decided not to send it.
“Mr. Ortler said he was sorry for whatever did happen, if anything happened,” one of the officers wrote in the affidavit.
Ortler initially was charged with object rape, a first-degree felony, and forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony. But those charges were reduced to a single count of sexual battery, a class A misdemeanor, as part of a plea agreement, which the victim supported, prosecutors noted during the sentencing hearing.
The 365-day jail sentence associated with the misdemeanor was suspended and Ortler was given credit for the 16 days in jail he’d previously served. He was also ordered to pay $803 in fines, payable in monthly installments of $50.
Ortler’s letter of apology to the victim, which must meet the court’s approval, must be submitted within 30 days of the sentencing, the judge ordered.
The court also ordered that Ortler must abide by all the terms of his 24-month privately supervised probation, including no drinking alcohol and having no contact with the victim or her family. He is also prohibited from being on the Copper Chase property.
“Our office worked closely with the victim to strike the right balance and achieve a just outcome,” Iron County Attorney Chad Dotson told Cedar City News after the sentencing hearing. “Our hope is that the victim can positively move forward and find closure.”
Ortler, a longtime Brian Head business owner and real estate agent, served on the Brian Head Town Council for approximately 20 years before losing his seat by one vote in the 2015 municipal election.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.