14-year-old arrested after twice violating release on sexual assault charge

SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WXIX) - A 14-year-old accused of sexual assault has violated two separate court orders since his initial release, authorities say, prompting a statement from Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters that the teenage defendant should be “locked up” as the case progresses.

The 14-year-old allegedly sexually assaulted an 11-year-old in a case Deters calls “sickening.”

The suspect and the victim were walking home together on Oct. 20 around 9 p.m. when the alleged assault occurred, according to the Springfield Township Police Department.

The suspect was arrested an hour afterward and admitted in a police interview what happened, according to a court documents.

The details of the case, including specifically where it happened, as well as the identities of those involved, are being withheld because of their ages.

The case went before a juvenile court magistrate, who last week ordered the 14-year-old released on the condition that he stay away from the alleged victim while the case progresses, according to Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor Amy Clausing.

At the time the condition was set, the magistrate was unaware that the suspect and victim lived near one another, according to Juvenile Court Judge Kari Bloom.

[Family of 11-year-old sexual assault victim upset alleged attacker released]

The 14-year-old violated that stay-away condition last weekend, the prosecutor’s office says.

Clausing explains the violation prompted the prosecutor’s office to file for an emergency hearing before Judge Bloom. The hearing was held on Wednesday.

At the hearing, the prosecutor’s office asked that the 14-year-old be held in juvenile detention.

Bloom, with the knowledge that the suspect and victim lived near each other, ordered the teen to his aunt’s home, which is located outside Hamilton County, Clausing says. As a condition of that order, the teen had to wear an electronic monitor.

The 14-year-old was supposed to go to his aunt’s home on Wednesday and remain there either until the case is resolved or Bloom modifies the order, Clausing says.

On Wednesday afternoon, according to Clausing, the defendant was arrested for violating that order.

Bloom said in a hearing on Thursday it was not an “ill-willed” violation and that it was based on the monitor either being unplugged or running out of battery.

The Thursday hearing ended inconclusively. The defendant will remain detained until a follow-up hearing, when Bloom is expected to decide whether he will remain detained throughout the case or can be allowed to go to his aunt’s house.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters issued the following statement early Wednesday evening:

“We believe the safety of the community should be the major concern in holding a defendant. Outside of murder, the forcible rape of a little kid is the most serious crime you can commit. It shouldn’t matter if the defendant lives on Mars. Based on these sickening facts alone, he should be locked up. When the judge knew the defendant violated the stay-away order, she still let him out. And now, she believes it appropriate to place him out of county, in a home with young children.”

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