May 24—POLK COUNTY, Minn. — A man from Fertile, Minnesota, pleaded guilty Thursday, May 22, to felony second-degree criminal sexual contact.
Ilia Grigory Basargin, 33, gave a Norgaard plea to the offense, which means he admits guilt but cannot remember committing the crime, either due to intoxication or another cause for lapse in memory.
Basargin was reported in 2023 for engaging in sexual conduct with two juvenile girls, one under the age of 12 and the other under the age of 9, according to a probable cause statement filed in the case.
When interviewed by law enforcement, Basargin told them he’d been “wasted” that day and passed out, waking up to people kicking him and screaming at him, the statement said.
The felony charge has a maximum 20-year sentence, though a proposed plea agreement in the case says that, if Basargin’s criminal history score is one “point” or less, he will receive a stay of execution and be placed on supervised probation for 10 years.
A pre-sentence investigation was ordered. Sentencing will happen at a later date.