A McLoud woman who earlier waived her preliminary hearing on three child-related sex crimes has entered an innocent plea during her arraignment.
Formally charged in Lincoln County District Court March 27, 2025 are Brandon Lee Morris, 26 and Trisha Nicole Franks, 27.
Morris was bound over in June on four counts of rape by instrumentation and two counts of lewd acts with a child under 16.
Franks appeared before District Judge Sarah Bridge recently and pleaded innocent to the charges. Judge Bridge received the plea and set Franks for the felony disposition docket at 9 a.m. Jan. 6, 2026.
During his arraignment recently before Judge Bridge, Morris pleaded innocent and he also was set for the felony disposition docket at 9 a.m. on Jan. 6, 2026.
Bond for Morris has been set at $250,000 and Franks’ bond is $50,000.
A $50,000 bench warrant was issued for the arrest of Franks on March 13 and returned and filed the same day, court records show. She appeared before Special Judge Emily Mueller on March 27 and she made her initial appearance on Apr. 24, 2025.
Appearing before Judge Mueller, the judge scheduled the matter for a motion to modify and her pre-preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. on May 1.
The state’s response to the defendant’s motion to modify the no contact provision of the bond was filed.
Court records show that a $250,000 bench warrant was issued for Morris on March 13. That warrant was returned and filed on March 21. A motion for bond reduction was filed on March 18.
On March 27, a hearing was held with Judge Mueller presiding on Morris’ motion for bond reduction. Judge Mueller denied that motion and ordered the bond remain as previously set.
As a stipulation to the bond, she further ordered Morris to have no contact with the victims and no contact with any person under the age of 18.
Morris is charged with four counts of first degree rape by instrumentation. He is accused of between Oct.1, 2024 and March 12, 2025 of first degree rape by instrumentation against a four-year-old.
He faces two counts of lewd acts to a child under 16.
He is charged with between Oct. 1, 2024 and March 12, 2025 of committing the crimes of indecent acts with a child seven years old.
Franks faces two counts of enabling child sexual abuse and one for child neglect. She is accused of between Oct. 1, 2024 and March 12, 2025 of committing the crime of enabling child sexual as a person responsible for the health, safety and welfare and permitting child sexual abuse of a child by Brandon Morris.
Count 2 accuses her of the same crime of enabling child sexual abuse during the same time period but with a different child by Brandon Morris.
In count 2 she is charged with child neglect by between Oct. 1. 2024 and March 12, 2025 of failing or omitting to protect a four-year-old and sevenyear-old from exposure to domestic violence in Pottawatomie County.