Moffatt
A plea agreement has been reached with one of four defendants charged with coercing a mentally challenged woman multiple times for sexual purposes.
In Salem, a tentative plea agreement in Washington Circuit Court would allow Christina L. Moffatt, 28, to receive a four-and-a-half year sentence for promoting prostitution.
In early November, the former Jonesville resident received a five-year sentence on the same charge involving the same victim from Bartholomew Circuit Judge Kelly Benjamin. The term was one year less than the maximum allowed under Indiana law.
As part of the Bartholomew County plea agreement, the prosecution agreed to drop the original charges against Moffatt of rape when the victim is mentally disabled or deficient as a Level 3 felony, and promotion of human sexual trafficking as a Level 4 felony. Had she been convicted of the original charges, Benjamin could have imprisoned Moffatt for up to 28 years.
Under the plea agreement reached late last week in Salem, the four-and-a-half years will be served concurrently (at the same time) with the Bartholomew County sentence, rather than consecutively. The written agreement also states Moffatt will also be given credit for serving 376 days in jail, which includes 94 days credit time.
Washington Circuit Court Judge Larry Medlock is expected to announce whether he’ll accept the agreement during a court hearing at 9 a.m. on March 6.
Mental health professionals told investigators their testing indicates the victim has the mental capability of a toddler, and is incapable of consenting to sex.
In a lengthy investigation, detectives learned the adult victim had resided in a rental house at 594 Market St., Jonesville with Moffatt and two men: Brandon A. Jacobs, 37 and Christopher S. Lovell, 41. Both men are charged with rape when the victim is mentally disabled or deficient as a Level 3 felony, and human trafficking as a Level 4 felony. Lovell is also accused of battering the woman while she was expecting a child.
The victim was allegedly transported by the three defendants to Salem in a $600 a month arrangement, where she was made available multiple times to Jon A. Arnold, 65, of Salem for sexual purposes, according to court documents.
Both Jacobs and Lovell are scheduled to appear before Judge Benjamin for change of plea hearings on April 7. Both also have the same tentative trial date of 8:30 a.m. on May 6.
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.
A change of plea or pre-trial conference will be held at 9 a.m. on April 23 before Judge Dustin Houchin in Salem. In Columbus, Arnold’s change of plea or pre-trial conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. on May 5.
At this time, both Washington Superior and Bartholomew Circuit courts have scheduled their trials for Arnold to begin at 8:30 a.m. on the same day: June 17.
