Casper man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of a minor

CASPER, Wyo. — A Casper man faces nine to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual contact with a minor.

Brendan Kyle Sturman, 29, pleaded guilty a single count of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor before Judge Catherine Wilking on Thursday morning.

As part of the plea agreement, 13 additional counts were dropped, and a joint recommendation for nine to 12 years will be made at sentencing in the coming months. Judge Wilking cautioned that she is not bound by the agreement between the prosecution and defense. The charge carries up to 20 years in prison.

Sturman admitted Thursday to a sexual encounter with a girl who was 14 at the time. Sturman was 25 and had been her family’s house guest for several months in 2021. The dismissed counts alleged six other sexual acts during that time frame.

In fall 2024, the girl disclosed the nature of the relationship to a guardian, and the disclosure became known to others, who reported it to the Casper Police Department. She told a Child Advocacy Project investigator that she and Sturman discussed the trouble he could get into. She said Sturman had moved out at the end of 2021 and was in another relationship, but she was still contacting him. She said going to therapy that year had led her to understand that what had happened was rape because she was 14 and not old enough to consent.

The investigation was supported by screenshots of Snapchat messages, including a conversation between Sturman and the girl’s guardian in which Sturman acknowledged the relationship and the guardian told Sturman he should cut off his finger. Police also interviewed two of the girl’s friends who knew what was going on at the time.

At his initial appearance on Dec. 9, Sturman said he’d lived in Natrona County since 2014 and had recently started working in the oil field.

Sturman remains in custody on a $100,000 cash or surety bond.