A McKeesport man will spend one to two years in state prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to a simple assault charge -- a much lighter charge than those he initially faced when he was accused of forcing intercourse on a woman last July.

Darrick W. Bailey, 23, originally faced felony charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault and aggravated indecent assault -- all charges that were dropped by the prosecution.

Centre County Assistant District Attorney Lance Marshall devised the plea agreement but would not comment further, other than to confirm its terms.

According to court documents, Ferguson Township police alleged Bailey held a 28-year-old State College woman, whom he had been dating for about a month, against her will in a State College Motel 6 room. Court documents indicate he forced her to perform oral sex and engage in sexual intercourse during this time.

Police also alleged that Bailey beat and attempted to strangle her, according to court documents.

Sean McGraw, Bailey's appointed public defender, said Bailey only accepted the plea agreement to simple assault because there was a "realistic possibility" he may have been convicted of it at trial.

He added that Bailey maintains his innocence in regards to the charges associated with sexual assault, and he said that he could have shown that at trial.

"I had two people not really biased in the hotel room where this allegedly took place, and these witnesses were going to say in court that [Bailey] and this woman had sex, but not in the way that she described it," McGraw said.

Bailey pleaded guilty to the simple assault charge, McGraw said, because Bailey and the alleged victim had "a bit of an altercation" after intercourse.

"[The alleged victim] was really drunk. I think the evidence would have established that convincingly," he said. "And she was trying to get out of the room."

Bailey's one- to two-year prison sentence is the statutory maximum for a misdemeanor simple assault, Marshall said.

McGraw said, considering the injuries involved, he thought the maximum sentence was a "pretty steep" sentence for his client to receive.

Bailey must also pay $266 to the Pennsylvania Crime Victim's Compensation Board and not contact the woman, McGraw said.

Another issue factored into Bailey's acceptance of the plea agreement was his concern, being a black man, of having a predominately white jury in an "unfamiliar community," McGraw said.

"[Bailey] was afraid the people just wouldn't understand his point of view," he said. "Although, my experience with Centre County jurors is that they're very fair ... but he was worried."