Havre man pleads guilty to sex abuse charges

A jury trial scheduled to begin today was canceled after a man accused of possessing lewd pictures of a 16-year-old girl pleaded guilty during a change of plea hearing Friday in state District Court in Havre.

Gary L. Peterson, of Havre, born in 1967, was charged with 32 counts of sexual abuse of children Dec. 19.

He pleaded guilty Friday to three of those counts before District Judge Daniel Boucher.

Due to Peterson’s change of plea, the state dismissed the remaining counts.

Peterson in January pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The plea agreement was filed Friday.

During the hear...