A Meeker man’s jury trial has been moved to June of this year in a case alleging lewd acts with a minor child.
Two felony charges of sexual abuse with a child under 12 were originally filed April 4 against Jason Stuart Kirkwood, 42. A $100,000 bench warrant was initially issued for his arrest the same day the charges were filed in Lincoln County District Court.
At the conclusion of his preliminary hearing in September, Kirkwoodwas bound over to stand trial on an amended single charge of lewd acts with a minor child.
On Nov. 15, 2022 during his arraignment, he entered a plea of not guilty. ThenDistrict Judge Cindy Ashwood received the plea and scheduled his trial for 9 a.m. on Feb. 6, 2023. She set the cause for the felony disposition docket at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 17.
The judge allowed the defendant 30 days from Nov. 15 to file a motion to quash. Kirkwood acknowledged the charges and that it’s an 85 percent crime.
District Judge Traci Soderstrom during a felony disposition docket on Jan. 17, continued the case to the next felony disposition docket on May 16, 2023 and set his jury trial for June 5.
She scheduled a motions hearing at 9:30 a.m. on April 25.
The felony charge allegedly occurred on Feb. 28, 2022 at a residence on South SH 99 in the city of Prague.
In a probable cause affidavit filed in the case, Lincoln County Deputy Sheriff George Kelly Coleman states Lincoln County Sheriff’s Detective Larry Stover relayed information to him that he had received from DHS.
Stover advised Coleman that a forensic interview had been conducted with the children involved in the case and that DHS had set up an interview to determine if drugs had been used in the presence of the children.
The affidavit notes that during a previous law enforcement contact at the residence, a search warrant had been served for illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia.
Coleman stated in the affidavit the two victims, ages four and five, described what had taken place.
The deputy said he received copies of the interviews on March 1 and that DHS had placed the children in a safety plan.
On Dec. 1, 2022, a new, unrelated felony charge of false pretenses/bogus check/con game was filed in Lincoln County District Court against Kirkwood.
Court records show a $7,500 bench warrant that was issued the same day the charge was filed was returned and filed on Dec. 29.
He made his initial appearance on Jan. 5 before Special Judge Emily Mueller. She ordered for him to return on March 16 with an attorney.
In the new charge, he is accused on Oct. 15 this year of willfully, knowingly, wrongfully, unlawfully and with intent to cheat and defraud Ball Auction Service, Justin Ball of the total value of $4,897.50 by means of a bogus check.