DARLINGTON - A Darlington man charged with sexually assaulting an underage girl was deemed incompetent to stand trial Wednesday.
David Blench, 23, appeared in Lafayette County Circuit Court Wednesday on charges of second-degree sexual assault of a child and exposing his genitals to a child.
The charges stem from an incident in April, when he allegedly fondled an underage girl's breasts and attempted to persuade her to perform sex acts.
Blench's attorney, Jane Bucher, delivered a statement from a psychiatrist who had examined Blench and found him incapable of standing trial and unlikely to become capable of doing so in the foreseeable future.
According to the statement, Blench had displayed signs of an intellectual disability from an early age. His condition worsened in 2010 after he sustained brain trauma in a car accident that left him comatose for two weeks.
District Attorney Katherine Findley did not contest the psychiatrist's report. Lafayette County Circuit Judge Duane Jorgenson agreed and found Blench incompetent.
Jorgenson ordered that Blench return to the assisted living facility in Prairie du Chien where he currently resides for protective placement. Blench had voluntarily moved into the facility after the charges were filed in order to prevent similar incidents, Bucher said.
Blench may be subject to periodic re-examinations to determine whether he has gained competency.
Blench will appear in court again on July 27 for a review hearing.
David Blench, 23, appeared in Lafayette County Circuit Court Wednesday on charges of second-degree sexual assault of a child and exposing his genitals to a child.
The charges stem from an incident in April, when he allegedly fondled an underage girl's breasts and attempted to persuade her to perform sex acts.
Blench's attorney, Jane Bucher, delivered a statement from a psychiatrist who had examined Blench and found him incapable of standing trial and unlikely to become capable of doing so in the foreseeable future.
According to the statement, Blench had displayed signs of an intellectual disability from an early age. His condition worsened in 2010 after he sustained brain trauma in a car accident that left him comatose for two weeks.
District Attorney Katherine Findley did not contest the psychiatrist's report. Lafayette County Circuit Judge Duane Jorgenson agreed and found Blench incompetent.
Jorgenson ordered that Blench return to the assisted living facility in Prairie du Chien where he currently resides for protective placement. Blench had voluntarily moved into the facility after the charges were filed in order to prevent similar incidents, Bucher said.
Blench may be subject to periodic re-examinations to determine whether he has gained competency.
Blench will appear in court again on July 27 for a review hearing.