A Berks County man was sentenced to a county prison term in Carbon County court on Tuesday after previously pleading guilty to indecent assault on a teenage boy.

Michael Held, 41, of Kutztown was sentenced by Judge Steven R. Serfass to serve one day less 12 to one day less 24 months in prison followed by 24 months of probation.He previously pleaded to two counts of indecent assault.Held was charged by Palmerton police for incidents at a home along Lafayette Avenue.The incidents occurred during the time frame of October 2007 to December 2009.On Jan. 5 officer Kevin K. Buck received information from Northampton County Child Services about an act of sexual abuse of a child that occurred in Palmerton a few years earlier.On Jan. 9 the then 15-year-old male spoke with Buck at the borough police station.The teen told the officer that he had been having some emotional issues and came to the conclusion that a big contributor was he had never told anyone what happened to him.The teen could not remember exactly how old he was or when it happened, but said it occurred at the Lafayette Avenue home of a relative.The teen said the incidents occurred in an upstairs bedroom where he would hang out with Held, a relative of a family member.They would watch television and play video games.The teen said one day Held was wearing basketball shorts and exposed his private area.The teen said Held was touching himself, and then told the teen to begin touching himself.The teen did what Held told him. The teen said such incidents occurred two times a few weeks apart.Asked if Held threatened him if he told anyone, the teen told Buck that Held told him if anyone ever found out, that something would happen to him.Held underwent an evaluation by the state sexual offenders board and was found to be a violent sexual predator. Held did not dispute that determination because he was also found to be a violent sexual predator in a case in Berks County.Held is currently undergoing counseling and it was noted that he had changed his behavior.Held told the court, "I am extremely sorry for what I've done to my victim and his family." He said he will continue his counseling.Serfass noted that the victim had agreed to the plea bargain, which had more serious charges dropped.In addition to the prison and probation terms, as per Megan's Law, Held must register for the rest of his life as a sexual offender.Serfass also ordered him to get a mental health evaluation and follow any recommendations for treatment, submit to a sexual offenders evaluation, pay court costs of about $1,000, and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole and probation.He began the jail term immediately. Held will apply for work release privileges, which Serfass said he would consider at the appropriate time.