In Butler County Court today, a 41-year-old man, who was accused of molesting a Center Township girl, expressed dissatisfaction with his plea agreement and his impending 30 to 60 month state prison sentence.

Claiming he’s truly innocent and demanding a jury trial, Thomas J. Burns Jr. asked to withdraw his plea of guilt to two counts of simple assault.

“I was under extreme pressure to take that plea,” he claimed. “It was a mistake, not a stalling tactic.”

But Judge William Shaffer had heard the argument from the repeat felon earlier, and he denied the request and sent Westmoreland County man to start his prison time.

In November 2014, Burns pleaded no contest to indecent assault. But a couple months later, he with drew that plea.

In November of this year, he entered the new plea arrangement which calls for a slightly longer prison term, but carries no sex offender registration requirements.

Court records say if Burns had stuck with his first deal, he would have been sentenced to 24 to 60 months in prison. But he would have had to register his whereabouts with state police for 25 years.

Under the new deal, Burns does not have to register his whereabouts with state police at any time.

Burns was earlier evaluated by a member of the state’s sexual offender assessment board who determined he does not meet the criteria to be deemed a sexually violent predator.

As part of the sentence, Burns was given credit for 451 days he already spent in prison awaiting resolution of the case.