Overview
- Robert Brian Bassett pled no contest to three felony sex charges tied to a 17‑year‑old foreign exchange student who lived in his Biggs home in 2023.
- Butte County Superior Court imposed the maximum term of four years and four months and required Bassett to register as a sex offender for 10 years after release.
- Prosecutors said Bassett groomed the teen for months and investigators contacted her in her home country, where she reported several sexual encounters during her 2023 stay.
- Two additional felony counts were dropped under the plea agreement and the county probation office had recommended a lighter sentence before the judge cited aggravating factors.
- The victim's court statement about ongoing harm framed the case as a betrayal of trust and raises questions about protections and vetting for foreign exchange hosts in small towns.