A Halbur man was sentenced today (Monday) to a prison sentence up to 50 years for continuous sexual abuse of a minor female. It was back in November 2024 when 31-year-old John Mark Toyne was found guilty by a jury for continuous sexual abuse of a child, a class B felony, after an investigation discovered Toyne engaged in sex acts with a juvenile female between Jan. 1, 2022, and Nov. 30, 2023. Toyne’s motion for a new trial on the grounds that the jury was exposed to information that the jury should not have known, misconduct from the prosecuting attorney, and a verdict contrary to the weight of evidence was denied. Toyne has been sentenced to serve an indeterminate sentence not to exceed 50 years, for which he will be given credit for time previously served and for good behavior. Following his prison sentence, a special sentence of supervised parole and will need to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. Toyne will be transferred to the Iowa Division of Corrections to begin his sentence immediately. Following the sentencing order, a member of Toyne’s family attempted to confront prosecution and was needed to be escorted out of the courthouse.
