STROUDSBURG -- A man pleaded guilty Thursday morning in Monroe County to charges of unlawful contact and corruption of minors.
Jesse Green from Delaware Water Gap is a well-known jazz pianist in Monroe County.
He made the plea in Monroe County against the advice of his lawyer.
A trial was supposed to begin at 9 a.m. for Jesse Green of Delaware Water Gap, but instead, an hour and a half later, he pleaded guilty at the Monroe County Courthouse.
Jesse Green, surrounded by his family and friends, didn't want to explain why he pleaded guilty to corruption of minors.
It's a move Green's lawyer Thomas Sundmaker says he advised against.
“No one was victimized in this case,” he said.
Green was accused of having a sexual relationship with a girl beginning when she was 12 years old in 2008.
A jury was selected earlier in the week.
But Green decided to plead guilty to corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor, and endangering the welfare of children.
According to court documents, state police say Green, who is a well-known jazz musician, told his brother-in-law that he had fallen in love with the young girl when she was 12 and that sexual acts started to occur around the age of 14.
Green's lawyer says there were many different factors going on in this case.
“Many things he did not wish to have brought out in testimony that deals with other children involved,” said defense attorney Thomas Sundmaker.
Prosecutors say while the guilty plea wasn't what they wanted, they accepted it based on circumstances involving the victim.
“Ultimately it was probably the best results. We wanted to hold him accountable for his actions, as well as try to save the victim from the pain from having to testify in open court and give very intimate details about what had happened to her,” said Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Michael Rakaczewski.
Jesse Green must now undergo an evaluation to determine if he is a violent sexual predator. He must also register under Megan's Law.
He is scheduled to be sentenced in May.
Green could spend up to 28 years in prison when he's sentenced in Monroe County.