A dentist who pleaded guilty to child sex abuse charges in Utah wants to return to practice in the North Dakota community he left two years ago.

Dolan Anderson, 49, was in Ashley on Thursday, meeting with residents and the publisher of the town's weekly newspaper, the Ashley Tribune.

Ashley, a town of about 880 people, has been without a dentist since Anderson closed his practice there in 2005, Mayor Don Kosel said.

Anderson pleaded guilty May 9 in St. George, Utah, to five felony counts of sexual abuse of a child, said Brian Filter, an assistant county attorney. Sentencing is set for July 18.

Anderson was accused of having sex with a child between 1994 and 1999 in Utah, Filter said. He refused to discuss details of the case, but said Anderson returned voluntarily from North Dakota last year to face the charges in St. George, where he once practiced dentistry.

Tony Bender, the publisher of the Ashley Tribune, said Thursday it appeared Anderson was "testing the water" to see whether the community would allow him to return if he's not sentenced to prison in July.

The newspaper published a statement from Anderson last month in which he asked for forgiveness and said he would like to reopen his vacant practice.

"I would like to let the people of Ashley and McIntosh County know that I am sorry for my former actions which led to my conviction in Utah. I never intentionally meant to deceive anyone," Anderson said in his statement.

"If the people of Ashley would like me to return, and the state dental board would grant me my license, I would seriously consider moving back and practicing dentistry in Ashley," Anderson's statement said

Anderson could not be reached for comment Thursday. He was charged in October 2005 with five counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child. The original charges carried a maximum sentence of life in prison, authorities said.

Under the plea agreement, he faces five to 75 years in prison, Filter said. "But the judge has great discretion - he could be sentenced to probation," the prosecutor said.

If Anderson is sentenced to probation, he would be barred from contact with children unless he was supervised, Filter said.

Anderson's North Dakota dental license expired in 2005 and has not been renewed.