NORWICH – A pair of accused felons pleaded guilty to the charges against them Friday and both will serve time in state prison following their respective court-approved furloughs.

Both Shawn Fowlston, 27, and Jamie Ballard, 27, offered guilty pleas to the first count of their grand jury indictments – Fowlston for a sexual assault that took place on Nov. 12, 2010, in the City of Norwich and Ballard for an attempted armed robbery attempt of the Bainbridge Great American on Nov. 28, 2010.

A third individual, 19-year-old Travis L. Demuth, was sentenced to one year in the Chenango County Correctional Facility after violating the terms of his probation. In May of 2011, Demuth and two others were accused – and subsequently sentenced – for a tire slashing incident in the Town of New Berlin.

Fowlston – who pleaded guilty to one count of first degree sexual abuse, a class D felony – will serve two-and-a-half years in state prison after admitting he subjected another individual to unwanted sexual contact, restraining her against her will while using physical force. In addition, Fowlston received ten years of post-release supervision and must register as a sex offender.

District Attorney Joseph McBride said there is “nothing more offensive in our small little community” than an assault of this kind, adding that Fowlston is “going to have to live with this for the rest of his life.”