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Two men indicted in connection to 2014 sexual assault

Commonwealth Journal - 7/27/2020

Jul. 24--A Pulaski County grand jury has indicted two men on several counts related to a 2014 sexual assault.

Jeffrey A. Caldwell, 32, of Monticello, and Melvin Jeff Caldwell, 51, of Science Hill, have been jointly charged with first-degree Sexual Abuse, second-degree Rape (No Force) and second-degree Sodomy in a local indictment returned on July 8.

Jeffrey Caldwell was arrested and lodged in the Wayne County Detention Center on July 10, while Melvin Caldwell was arrested and lodged in the Pulaski County Detention Center on July 13. At press time, both remained in jail under a $75,000 cash/property bond.

During arraignment in Pulaski Circuit Court last Thursday, Jeffrey Caldwell pleaded not guilty to all charges and was scheduled for a September 17 pretrial conference.

Melvin Caldwell is scheduled to be arraigned on September 3.

The case -- stemming from incidents reported to have occurred on or around Halloween 2014 and New Year's Day 2015-- was presented by the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office to the grand jury.

Jeffrey Caldwell is being represented by Somerset attorney Dan Thompson who, based on the time gap and his client's lack of prior criminal record, asked Pulaski Circuit Judge Jeffrey Burdette to consider reducing the bond to $5,000 cash or property, with an ankle monitor if ordered.

"The Defendant and the alleged victim are no longer in contact with each other," Thompson wrote in his motion. "The alleged victim was the cousin of Defendant's prior wife divorced four years ago. Thus, there is no danger of contact between the alleged victim and the Defendant.

"Defendant is a corrections officer at Northpoint Training Center and is currently in the Wayne County Detention Center. Wayne County is having to keep him segregated for his safety. Defendant should be given a bond for his own protection and for the benefit of the jail."

The indictment of a person by a grand jury is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty or otherwise pleads guilty.

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(c)2020 the Commonwealth Journal (Somerset, Ky.)

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