Inver Grove Heights Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Assault of 7-Year-Old

A 24-year-old Inver Grove Heights man pleaded guilty Tuesday morning to second-degree criminal sexual conduct with his 7-year-old niece.

According to the criminal complaint, Max Alfonso Miranda-Rivera's niece told Dakota County social workers that her uncle touched her body with his hands in a sexual way on at least three occasions and used his penis on a fourth occasion.

Miranda-Rivera will remain in the Dakota County Jail until Oct. 31 when he is scheduled to be sentenced.

The maximum sentence for second-degree criminal sexual conduct is 25 years in prison and a $35,000 fine. 

But Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines dictate that the range of prison time to which a judge can sentence perpetrators of this specific crime is between 4.5 and 14 years.

The exent of Miranda-Rivera's sentence will be determined by a presentence investigation (PSI) which includes the following steps:

• Interview with the defendant;
• Review of defendant's criminal record;
• Review of the specific facts of the crime.

Once the PSI is complete, court administrators will prepare a report containing all relevant information and including recommendations about the type and severity of the sentence. 

Miranda-Rivera admitted to police in a post-arrest interview that he sexually assaulted the young girl but told police he did not remember many of the details she gave authorities.