Deal Struck in Text and Sex Case

Nine charges have been dropped under a plea deal with a Santa Monica man accused of having a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old girl he met using a a mobile texting application, court records show.

Brian Anthony Marks pleaded no contest Wednesday to two counts of lewd or lascivious act on a child under the age of 14. Authorities alleged Marks assaulted the girl "multiple times" from September until December, when her parents learned of the relationship and called police.

A plea agreement filed in Los Angeles Superior Court shows Marks will get five years in state prison when he is sentenced June 13. The maximum term for each of the charges to which he pled is 8 years.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office initially charged Marks with nine counts of lewd acts upon a child and two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse. He pleaded not guilty to those charges at his arraignment in February.

At a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Marks was allowed to remain out of custody on a $500,000 bond.

The assaults reportedly occurred at Marks' Santa Monica home, where investigators executed a search warrant before taking him into custody Jan. 3, according to Santa Monica Police Sgt. Lewis said.

A LinkedIn profile for a Brian Marks in the greater Los Angeles area shows he attended Loyola Marymount University and worked for two years starting in 2008 at privately owned TWC Aviation. He is in training to become a private pilot, the profile states. The Federal Aviation Administration's online database does not list Marks as a licensed pilot.

Stay up to date on Santa Monica news and events by following @StaMonicaPatch and “liking” us on Facebook.