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'Discovery' issues delay Hagerstown man's
child sex-abuse trial
Don Aines
The trial of a Hagerstown man charged with sexually molesting a child was postponed Monday in Washington County Circuit Court due to what his defense attorney called "irregularities in the discovery process."
Lester Anthony Ferguson, 59, has been jailed since last summer, when he was charged with second-degree rape, sexual abuse of a minor and other offenses.
Circuit Judge Dana Moylan Wright postponed the trial after hearing that prosecution evidence, including letters and a recording of a police interview with Ferguson, had not been handed over to the defense until Friday.
Defense attorney Ira C. Cooke said afterward that the evidence included letters from Ferguson to the child's grandmother, as well as a recording of a police interview with his client that he had not yet heard.
No new trial date was set, but a bond-review hearing is scheduled for today. Ferguson's bond was set at $500,000 when he was arrested in July, according to court records.
On March 13, 2016, the child's mother and grandmother told a Hagerstown police investigator that Ferguson molested the girl earlier that day, according to the application for statement of charges.
The child underwent a sexual-assault examination and was interviewed at the Safe Place Child Advocacy Center, the charging documents said.
Ferguson was questioned by police on March 18, telling them that he was in a room watching pornography when the girl came in, but he turned it off, the documents said.
He was asked to submit a DNA sample on March 22 and initially agreed to do so before telling police a few days later that he had decided not to on advice of counsel.
Police subsequently got a sample of the victim's DNA and a search warrant to get a DNA swab from Ferguson, the documents said.
In June, Ferguson's DNA was found on swabs taken in the examination of the victim, the documents said.
Cooke said after the hearing that the defense and prosecution made the joint request for postponement, but that the state was charged with the delay, which could factor in to his client's right to a speedy trial.
Hagerstown, Maryland
Gatesville man arrested on
child sexual abuse charge
By Josh Sullivan | Herald
A Gatesville man was arrested by Coryell County deputies on Monday, after being charged with the continuous sexual assault of a child. He was held in the McLennan County Jail Monday, and awaited a transfer to Coryell County.
Police found Danny Oren Wilson, 64, in a Waco motel room. They took him into custody and charged him with the assault of a preteen child. According to Coryell County Chief Deputy Mark Wilcox, police believe he ended up at the motel because he had figured out that police were on to him.
“That’s the feeling we got,” Wilcox said.
As far as police know, Wilson had no prior history of child abuse before this. Police went to Wilson’s home on Jan. 20, and executed a search warrant for particular items, but Wilson wasn’t there.
“We hoped to snag him at the same time,” Wilcox said. “But we weren’t able to locate him, and that’s where we got the information that he was cooped up in a motel in Waco.”
Wilson is being held on $150,000 bond.
Gatesville, TX
Abbeville man pleads to child sex abuse
An Abbeville man who was on the run for three years before his arrest in Mexico pleaded no contest to 18 child sex charges Monday.
Records at the Vermilion Parish Clerk of Court indicate Nicholas Faciane, 36, entered no contest pleas to six counts felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile, six counts contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, four counts indecent behavior with a juvenile, one count aggravated crime against nature and one count of sexual battery.
Facaine, who has been in jail since he was apprehended by U.S. Marshals in Tulum, Mexico in November 2015, will be sentenced at a later date.
A pre-sentence investigation was ordered, records indicate.
The charges against him back to September 2010.
Athens man charged in 2014 child sexual abuse case
By Jonathan Grass, Digital Content Producer
ATHENS, AL (WAFF) -
An Athens man has been arrested in a child sexual abuse case that started almost two years ago.
Ummm, 2014 is more than 2 years ago!
Athens police say investigators and the Department of Human Resources investigated a possible improper touching incident between a 9-year-old female and a 29-year-old man in May 2014. At the time of the investigation, the victim wouldn’t talk about the incident, according to police.
Police say the victim has now come forward. Officers say talked to an interviewer at the Child's Advance Center a few days ago and provided useful information in the investigation.
Alejandro Ortiz-Perez was detained for questioning Tuesday morning. After the interview, Ortiz-Perez was arrested and charged with sexual abuse of a child under 12 years of age. He was booked at the police department and transferred to the county jail.
This case remains under investigation.
Athens, AL
Lincoln County man arrested on
child sexual abuse charges
By WSAZ News Staff
BRANCHLAND, W.Va. – A man from Lincoln County was arrested on child sexual abuse charges, West Virginia State Police say.
Justin Edward Shanteau, 24, of Branchland, is charged with third degree sexual abuse by a parent/guardian, troopers say. They say the victim is a 14-year-old child.
WVSP received a referral about the case from Child Protective Services.
Shanteau was arraigned Monday in Cabell County Magistrate Court and taken to the Western Regional Jail.
Bond was set at $25,000.
Branchland, WV
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