19-year-old Lawrence man found guilty of having sex with 14-year-old girl

A 19-year-old Lawrence man has been found guilty of one felony count of having sex with a 14-year-old girl.

Brent Anthony Smith, of Lawrence, pleaded no contest Monday in Douglas County District Court to one count of unlawful voluntary sexual relations. Douglas County prosecutors filed the charge in April after police arrested Smith on suspicion of having sex with a girl who is now 15, according to court records.

Smith’s court-appointed attorney, Charles Whitman, said he had negotiated a plea agreement with Douglas County prosecutors so that more charges would not be filed. He had also sought an agreement with prosecutors that would not require Smith to register as a sex offender.

The details of that plea agreement will be presented to the court at sentencing, which is to be scheduled at a later date. Smith, who remained free on a $2,000 bond, could face five months of probation or 17 months in prison, depending on his criminal history.