Bryon Hefner and his attorneys walked into court Tuesday morning. (Kim Tunnicliffe/WBZ NewsRadio)
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The estranged husband of the former Massachusetts Senate President has pleaded guilty to the sexual assault charges against him.
Bryon Hefner, 32, faced charges including sexual assault, distributing nude photos without consent, and criminal lewdness after being indicted by a grand jury in March 2018.
Former Senate President Stan Rosenberg resigned from the legislature in May 2018; he had separated from Hefner earlier that year.
Hefner appeared in Suffolk Superior Court Tuesday afternoon to plead guilty to three charges; six others were dismissed.
He was sentenced to one year suspended at the Suffolk House of Correction and three years of probation. He is required to register as a sex offender, must continue mental health and substance abuse treatment, and must submit to drug and alcohol testing.
The judge in the case said Hefner's crimes were all about power and control.
"They're egregious, and there is an outrageousness to them," she said.
Defense Attorney Tracy Miner said outside the courthouse that the crimes Hefner admitted to were fueled by an addiction.
"Alcohol was involved in each of the offenses," she said. "He's recovering. He would ask for his privacy to aid in his recovery. He has admitted that he was wrong. I'm not dismissing the charges—it was a wrong thing to do, they were serious offenses—but it was not what the public was led to believe early on."
In written statements, the victims in the case all said they are glad Hefner is being held accountable, and that he's admitting to his crimes.
Hefner briefly addressed the court, saying he wanted to apologize to the victims and his family. He also described his marital status as "separated."
He had originally pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his case was set to go to trial Wednesday.
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WBZ NewsRadio's Kim Tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ) reports