America's Best Dance Crew Judge Shane Sparks Pleads No Contest to Sex With a Minor
Shane Sparks
Although Shane Sparks told TVGuide.com that he'd be fighting the "bogus allegations" of child molestation stemming from his arrest in 2009, he has pleaded no contest to a single felony count of having unlawful sex with a minor under 16.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the former America's Best Dance Crew judge and Emmy-nominated So You Think You Can Dance choreographer entered into a plea deal Tuesday at Los Angeles County Superior Court in which eight felonies in connection with alleged sex acts would be dismissed in return for his pleading no contest to the single felony.
Shane Sparks plans to fight "bogus allegations" of child molestation
In December 2009, Sparks was arrested and charged with lewd acts on a child under 14 years, beginning in 1994. At the time of his arrest, Sparks' lawyer told TVGuide.com: "I'm very confident that we will prevail in our attempt to clear his name. We are going to forcefully and aggressively defend him against what we believe to be completely spurious and bogus allegations."
Under the plea deal, Sparks will serve 270 days in jail, receive five years' probation, attend 52 sessions of counseling and avoid the female minors when another adult is not present.