A Rixford woman entered a guilty plea prior to trial earlier this week in McKean County Court on allegations involving the sexual assault of a young boy in 2006.

Julie Ann Tipton, 38, of Rixford, entered a guilty plea Monday prior to the start of her trial to a charge of indecent assault of a child less than 13. In consideration of the plea, charges of rape of a child, corruption of minors and incest were dismissed.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 26 at 1 p.m. An assessment has been scheduled by the state Sexual Offender Assessment Board to determine if she fits the criteria for a sexually violent predator.

She was represented by court-appointed attorney Christopher Martini of Ridgway.

Tipton is incarcerated in state prison, serving a sentence of 22 to 44 months for conspiring with her husband, William Tipton, to allow him to possess a firearm when he was not permitted to do so.

For his role in the situation, William Tipton, 52, pleaded guilty May 17 to charges of possession of a firearm prohibited and endangering the welfare of a child. When he entered his plea, he agreed that on Sept. 25, 2016, he possessed a 9mm handgun, despite being prohibited to do so, and he endangered a 6-year-old child by allowing the child to shoot the firearm next to his residence without ear or eye protection.

William Tipton was sentenced to five to 10 years in state prison for the firearm case.

The firearm charges were filed against William and Julie Tipton in February 2017; about one month later, the couple was also charged with the alleged sexual assault of a young boy.

William Tipton is serving a sentence of 25 to 50 years in state prison — concurrent to the firearm case — after a jury convicted him in 2018 of indecent assault and corruption of minors.