In return, prosecutors dropped other charges, including two first-degree felony counts of attempted rape and forcible sodomy.

Third-degree felonies are punishable to a maximum term of zero to five years in prison, while the first-degree felonies may be punished a sentence of five years to life in prison.

Wilkins was ordered to report to Adult Probation & Parole no later than Dec. 5 and to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation prior to his Feb. 16 sentencing.

Under the plea agreement, Wilkins will not have to do any prison time, but could be sentenced up to one year in the Utah County Jail, Deputy Utah County Attorney Donna Kelly said.

Kelly said she plans to recommend 60 days of jail time with work release. The victim and her mother plan to ask for 365 days, Kelly said.

Wilkins also will have to reregister as a sex offender. He already was on the registry following a felony conviction on two counts of lewdness with a child in a 1993 case.

``Now he will be on it for an extra 10 years,'' Kelly said.

The victim, now 20, and her mother were in court Monday for Wilkins's plea agreement. Both felt the plea deal was the best possible solution, Kelly said.

Wilkins was to have gone on trial this week.

Kelly said she and defense attorney Ron Yengich finalized the plea agreement Saturday.

``The victim was ready to go to trial. I felt she was prepared,'' she said. ``But this was a good result and the victim won't have to testify.''

Yengich said, ``It's a fair resolution for everybody. Nobody's really really happy (about it), but everybody gets something.''

The then-18-year-old victim, who also is deaf, became friends with Wilkins at Salt Lake Community College where she was a student and he was a professor.

Wilkins invited her to stay at his home with his wife and children when she began having problems with her parents.

She said that on Jan. 5 and Jan. 9, 2004, he touched her after she had repeatedly said no.

Yengich said Wilkins believed the incidents were consensual. Prosecutors said the woman told Wilkins no several times, both using sign language and by shaking her head.

Wilkins also worked at Utah Valley State College as an adjunct instructor teaching American Sign Language beginning in 2002.

Source: http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_333102803.html