By John Estridge
Jesse T. Meckley, 39, Short Street, Brookville, has been charged with nine felonies related to child molestation.
Meckley is charged in Franklin County with three Level 1 Felonies, one Level 3 Felony, four Level 4 Felonies and one Level 6 Felony.
The Level 1 Felonies are: three counts of Child Molestation – sexual intercourse or other sexual conduct with a child less than 14 years of age.
According to Information filed in the Franklin Circuit Court Clerk’s office, one charge was between June and September 2015; one between October 2015 and February 2017 and one between February and July 2017. The three incidents are alleged to have occurred in three different residences including Young’s Corner, Big Cedar Road and Indiana 252.
According to Franklin County Prosecutor Chris Huerkamp, former prosecutor Mel Wilhelm convened a Grand Jury late in 2018 and presented them with the information Wilhelm had at that time concerning Meckley and the allegations concerning child molestation.
In turn, the Grand Jury returned an indictment for one felony charge against Meckley, Sexual Misconduct with a Minor, as a Level 4 Felony. He was arrested in Guernsey County, Ohio. Guernsey County is east of Zanesville, Ohio.
According to Huerkamp, Meckley fought extradition back to Franklin County.
“He was ultimately brought back to Franklin County in April 2019, and entered an initial plea of not guilty,” Huerkamp said. “In June 2019, he posted the court-ordered bond and was released from jail pending trial.”
However, more information came to Huerkamp after the indictment.
“While the case was pending, I received reports from out-of-state police agencies that described additional allegations that had occurred in Franklin County,” Huerkamp said. “As such, I asked the Court to amend the indictment to add two additional counts of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor, and the Court allowed it.”
Then, came COVID-19 and the shutdown.
“On March 4, 2020, Meckley signed a plea agreement that was satisfactory to the victims and their families,” Huerkamp said. “The Court scheduled a plea hearing for March 18, 2020. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to anyone at the time, that was the exact date that the early stages of the pandemic would force the Court to close down temporarily. Pursuant to the Indiana Supreme Court’s Emergency Order, the plea hearing was continued two more times.”
During the interim caused by the shutdown and subsequent Supreme Court rules associated with the Emergency Order, Meckley decided to drop the plea agreement and take his chances in a trial.
“On May 13, 2020, Meckley (through his attorney), filed a Motion notifying the Court of his intention to withdraw from the plea agreement, which he had a right to do because it had not yet been considered in open Court,” Huerkamp said. “As a result, the Court scheduled a trial for July 20, 2020.”
And, again, more information made its way to Huerkamp. And again, Huerkamp needed more investigation before deciding to file even more charges.
“While I was preparing for the possibility of trial, I learned of further evidence and additional allegations,” Huerkamp said. “Based on the incredibly serious nature of the newly-discovered evidence, I requested that Indiana State Police Detective Vance Patton conduct a full investigation of it.
“It became quite clear, during the course of Detective Patton’s supplemental investigation, that additional, more serious charges should be filed,” Huerkamp said. “Therefore, I was compelled to ask the Court to dismiss the indictment so that I could re-file the appropriate charges.
“Once Detective Patton’s supplemental investigation was complete, I reviewed his report along with all of the evidence from the (temporarily) dismissed case, and filed the new charges under Cause No. 24C01-2009-F1-852,” Huerkamp said.
Meckley pleaded not guilty to all nine charges at the initial hearing held on September 23.
Because of the nature of the new charges, which included Level 1 Felonies, the most serious charges allowed under the state’s criminal code outside of Murder, Huerkamp asked – through a motion – for Franklin Circuit Court Judge J. Steven Cox, to take a look at the original bond, which was based on less serious felony charges.
“Based on the current charges, the defendant poses a danger to the public and therefore the Court should order that he be held pending trial pursuant to reasonable bond,” Huerkamp said in his Motion to Modify Bond.
Cox apparently agreed with Huerkamp as Cox increased Meckley’s bond to $10,000 cash and $20,000 surety. Thus, Meckley remains incarcerated in the Franklin County Security Center.
Paul Barada, a Rushville attorney, was the court-appointed attorney for Meckley under the original charge, and was again appointed by Cox to be Meckley’s public defender.
A pre-trial conference is set for November 19, and a trial has been set for January 11, 2021.
If convicted of a Level 1 Felony, Meckley could receive a sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison on each count. A Level 3 Felony conviction carries with it a sentence ranging from three to 16 years in prison. Level 4 Felonies have a sentence range from two to 12 years in prison and a Level 6 Felony conviction means a range of six months to 2.5 years in prison.
Huerkamp wants to remind everyone that “criminal charges are merely a formal accusation and that all criminal defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
Meckley’s charges:
Count 1: Child Molesting, as a Level 1 Felony;
Count 2: Child Molesting, as a Level 1 Felony;
Count 3: Child Molesting, as a Level 1 Felony;
Count 4: Sexual Misconduct with a Minor, as a Level 4 Felony;
Count 5: Sexual Misconduct with a Minor, as a Level 4 Felony;
Count 6: Sexual Misconduct with a Minor, as a Level 4 Felony;
Count 7: Rape, as a Level 3 Felony;
Count 8: Sexual Battery, as a Level 6 Felony;
Count 9: Sexual Misconduct with a Minor, as a Level 4 Felony.