BUCYRUS — Wesley Kinkead, 41, of Crestline appeared before Crawford County Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold to be arraigned on a 70-count indictment on Wednesday.
Kinkead is currently in custody at the Crawford County Justice Center on a $2 million cash bond. He is awaiting trial on two counts of rape, both first-degree felonies, and one count of gross sexual imposition. Wesley’s alleged victims are two females, ages 11 and five.
According to the new indictment, Kinkead is charged with two counts of creating material of a sexual nature both, second-degree felonies and 68 counts of pandering obscenities, all fourth-degree felonies.
Kindead sat in court with his attorney, Jerry Thompson. Judge Sean Leuthold asked for input from both the state and the defense regarding bond on the new allegations.
Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Hoovler advised the court that Kinkead had violated a condition of his bond on the original case, which was to have no contact with the victims. Kinkead attempted to mail letters to the victims. Hoovler called Kinkead’s attempt to communicate with the victims “wholly dangerous” for the state and the victims. Hoovler asked that all writing privileges be suspended as a condition of the new bond.
Defense attorney Thompson told the court that the letters were sent to the victims in the care of their caretaker and never reached the girls. He said his client now understands that he cannot write to the victims. Thompson implored the court to reduce his privileges but not revoke them.
Hoovler asked Kinkead if he had anything to say. Kinkead told Leuthold he wanted updates on the victims, his biological children.
An angry Leuthold retorted, “You don’t get updates! You don’t get to know anything that’s going on with these victims. The court has an obligation, in fact, a constitutional responsibility, to protect victims. This court takes that very seriously!”
Leuthold said he had looked at the letters in chambers and while he did not find the content to rise to the level of tampering with a witness, they still violated the conditions of Kinkead’s bond.
Leuthold asked the commander of the jail about the procedures when an inmate sends and receives mail. Kent Rachel explained to the court that outgoing mail is not opened. Incoming mail is opened and checked.
Leuthold ruled that the defendant could continue to write letters but that all mail going out had to be inspected by the jail commander or a person he would assign to review outgoing mail. Leuthold told Rachel that if a decision could not be made as to whether to allow the mail out or not, he should contact the court and Leuthold would decide.
Leuthold also listened to arguments regarding bail. Hoovler asked the court to set bail at $100,000. Thompson suggested bond be continued in the amount of $2 million cash.
Leuthold explained to the defendant that he must set bond because the cases are separate.
“It may seem like overkill, but if for some reason the other case is dismissed then we have no bond set on the new case,” Leuthold said. “I will set bond at $250,000.”