MASON CITY — A plea change hearing is scheduled for next month for a Mason City man accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl.

34-year-old Ruben Ramirez was accused by authorities of committing a sexual act with a 15-year-old girl sometime in February and March at his residence in the 500 block of North Adams. Police say that Ramirez was aware of the girl’s age at the time.

Ramirez was charged in May but he failed to appear for a court hearing in June, with a nationwide warrant being issued for his arrest. He was located in the Dakota County Jail in Nebraska and was brought back to Iowa where he was arraigned last month, entering a written plea of not guilty to one count of third-degree sexual abuse.

His trial was scheduled to start on Tuesday, but online court records show that his attorney filed a written plea of guilty to the charge. Third-degree sexual abuse is a Class C felony punishable by up to ten years in prison.

Ramirez is scheduled to be in court on December 3rd for his plea change hearing.