By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
An initial appearance in Crawford County Municipal Court on a first-degree felony rape charge led to Judge Shane Leuthold leveling a $350,000 bond on a Bucyrus man Wednesday afternoon.
Twenty-five-year-old Martin Nolen appeared via videoconference to hear the charge brought against him. Nolen’s family members sat behind defense attorney Adam Stone while victim advocate Jim Scott joined the victim’s custodian on another bench.
Leuthold read Nolen’s charge on the record, which stated he allegedly engaged in sexual conduct with a juvenile victim on June 9. Due to the significant age difference – the alleged victim was 7-years-old – the judge informed Nolen that the maximum penalty could be life in prison without parole.
Assistant prosecutor Rob Kidd said a report alleged the juvenile made statements that the defendant touched the child in a “bad spot” a few times. Law enforcement was made aware of the report on June 10 and a SANE exam was completed June 11. Kidd noted the victim gave vivid descriptions of the alleged incident, which included comments of “great pain,” to police, the SANE nurse, and the child’s custodian.
“A high bond would be necessary to protect the public and the children of this community,” Kidd said.
Stone, who represented Nolen for the initial appearance, argued that due to the victim’s age, the child was highly suggestible and he cast doubt on the facts of the case.
“They don’t weigh as heavily as we assume,” Stone countered as he argued against Kidd’s recount of facts.
In deciding the proper bond, Leuthold weighed the fact that Nolen was a long-time resident and had ties to the community against the child’s vivid description and Nolen’s past juvenile conviction. He eventually set bond at $350,000 and ordered Nolen to have no contact with any minor child. A preliminary hearing was set for July 3 where Leuthold would reconsider the bond.