The Gazette-Enterprise

SEGUIN — Tuesday, former Catholic school teacher John Calvin Hegedus silently prayed the rosary before his sentencing in 25th Judicial District Court.

Investigators say Hegedus, 32 spent last Easter Sunday sending numerous explicit text messages to a Guadalupe County boy in an effort to solicit him for sex.

In July, Hegedus pleaded guilty to an allegation of on-line solicitation of a minor before 25th Judicial District Judge Dwight Peschel, and Tuesday, he was sentenced to 10 years of deferred adjudication probation.

In the sentencing, Peschel warned Hegedus that the conditions of his probation would be onerous ones, and that if Hegedus, who has never been in trouble with the law before, didn’t successfully complete probation, he faced up to 20 years in state prison. A separate allegation of attempted sexual assault was dismissed.

Deferred adjudication probation is an alternative sometimes offered first-time offenders in which they are given an opportunity to rehabilitate themselves.

If an offender successfully completes the probation and meets all conditions, the original offense is not adjudicated, although the arrest record stands and in the case of an alleged sexual offense, the probationer must register as a sex offender.

Hegedus admitted his guilt before he was arraigned, and has cooperated with authorities.

“We basically took into consideration that he didn’t have a prior criminal record and that there was no physical contact with the victim,” said First Assistant District Attorney Larry Bloomquist. “We’ll try to rehabilitate him.”

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