A North Carolina criminal defendant’s bond has been quadrupled after he was accused of kidnapping and assaulting a girl in Spring Lake. The man, who is already a registered sex offender, was accused of sex crimes against the 11-year-old girl in late August. Authorities say that the 28-year-old defendant may have lured the girl into his car before accosting her.
News reports show that the defendant was the subject of a nationwide manhunt. He surrendered to authorities on Aug. 30, and he was initially held under a quarter-million dollar bond. The man was first charged with taking indecent liberties with a child, along with first-degree kidnapping.
The charges have not changed, but the bond amount has. Now, the man’s bond is set at $1 million because of a request by the district attorney, who says that the man’s criminal history should preclude him from being released into the community. The man does have several previous convictions, including attempted rape of a child in 2005. He served three years behind bars for that violation, and he also completed two years’ probation. Then, in 2011, the man was convicted of taking indecent liberties with another teenager in Dare County, receiving probation for that violation.
This case illustrates the importance of a defendant’s criminal history in determining important aspects of his or her criminal case. For example, first-time offenders may receive lower bond amounts and lower potential consequences than those with a history of sex crimes violations. In this instance, the court decided to strengthen the barrier that could prevent the man from being released from custody. Repeat sex crimes offenders may need to employ different legal strategies than those defendants who have been accused of their first violation.
Source: WRAL, “Judge quadruples sex offender’s bond after Spring Lake girl’s sexual assault” Sep. 02, 2014