Lovell
Court hearings for two Jonesville men facing charges of sexually trafficking and raping a woman with low cognitive abilities have been delayed until spring.
A change of plea hearing for Christopher Scott Lovell, 42, was scheduled Monday in Bartholomew Circuit Court. However, public defender Mike DeArmitt asked for and and received a continuance from Judge Kelly Benjamin.
When asked the reasons for his request, DeArmitt said he is still working to firm up Lovell’s defense, which includes gathering additional evidence and testimony.
While the judge approved the public defender’s request, Benjamin rescheduled Lovell’s change of plea hearing for April 7, and trial date to May 6. Those are the same days that co-defendant Brandon A. Jacobs, 37, is scheduled for the same hearings.
Publicly, there have been no requests that joint hearings or trials be scheduled for the co-defendants. But speaking in general terms, Bartholomew County Prosecutor Lindsey Holden-Kay said earlier this year she prefers hearings for multiple co-defendants be held as close together as possible.
A third co-defendant, Christina Moffatt, 28, has already accepted a plea deal. Early this month, Moffatt was ordered to served five years with the Indiana Department of Correction on a lesser charge of promoting prostitution as a Level 5 felony.
The victim was living with Lovell, Moffatt and Jacobs in a mobile home in Jonesville when the crimes took place, according to court documents.
Moffatt, Jacobs and Lovell allegedly engaged in sexual acts with the victim on multiple occasions and repeatedly took her to a Washington County residence to engage in sexual acts with Jon Arnold, 66, of Salem in exchange for money, a probable cause affidavit states.
The victim was living with the three defendants in a mobile home in Jonesville when the crimes took place, according to court documents.
Moffatt, Jacobs and Lovell allegedly engaged in sexual acts with the victim on multiple occasions and are accused of taking her to a residence in Salem to engage in sexual acts with Jon Arnold, 66, in exchange for money, the affidavit states.
In Washington Superior Court, Arnold is facing 12 counts of rape when the victim is mentally disabled or deficient as Level 3 felonies, as well as one count of human trafficking as a Level 4 felony. If found guilty of all counts, Arnold could be sentenced to more than 200 years in prison.
Arnold, who is free on $60,000 bond, is scheduled for a change of plea or pre-trial conference before Washington Superior Court Judge Dustin Houchin at 9 a.m. on Dec. 4. He’s tentatively scheduled to go on trial at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 21.
In Bartholomew County, Arnold is charged with one count of rape when the victim is mentally disabled or deficient at a Level 3 felony, and one county of human trafficking as a Level 4 felony. His next appearance before Benjamin will be a change of plea or pre-trial conference at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 6. A trial is tentatively scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Feb.4.
