PULLMAN, WA – A 25-year-old pullman man has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.

Alexander Palenzuela pleaded guilty to the charge in Whitman County District Court on Friday.  Palenzuela was initially charged with a felony for sending a picture of his penis to a 13-year-old girl via Facebook messenger back in May.  Prosecutors reduced the charge in the plea deal citing Palenzuela’s quick accountability.  He apologized to the victim during the hearing Friday.

Judge Roger Sandberg acting as District Court Commissioner in resolving this case accepted the sentencing recommendation from the state and defense.  Judge Sandberg placed Palenzuela on probation for two years, ordered that he undergo a psychological sexual evaluation and comply with all treatment recommendations and required that he register as a sex offender for ten years.  The sentence also orders that he cannot have unsupervised contact with a minor.  Palenzuela has no previous criminal history.  The case was investigated by the Pullman Police Department.