GEORGETOWN, Del. (AP) - A former state Senate candidate accused of molesting a young neighbor more than 25 years ago has been sentenced to one year of probation for unlawful sexual contact.
Fifty-six-year-old Eric Bodenweiser received a suspended sentence Friday of one year in prison for each of two misdemeanors counts. He must register as a sex offender and is barred from unsupervised contact with minors during probation.
Bodenweiser initially was charged with multiple felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and unlawful sexual contact and could have spent the rest of his life in prison if convicted. His plea last month came after a mistrial in the case when jurors could not agree on a verdict.
Bodenweiser defeated an incumbent lawmaker in a 2012 primary but dropped out days before being indicted.
