DARLINGTON - Lafayette County issued a warrant for a 20-year-old Minnesota man after he failed to appear in court Wednesday for a scheduled plea hearing for charges of repeated sexual assault of a teen-aged girl from Belmont.
District Attorney Kate Findley said Corey Fordham, Spicer, Minn., was in custody in Kandiyohi County in Minnesota on a charge of third-degree sexual assault and was recently released on bond, but he did not show for his Lafayette County court date. Findley said she spoke with a Kandiyohi prosecuting attorney and learned of Fordham's charges. Online court records in Minnesota show no active charges against Fordham.
"He is not in custody, so there is no excuse for him not to be here," Findley said.
Philip Brehm, Fordham's defense attorney, said he was unaware of Fordham's pending charges in Minnesota and was not able to get in touch with Fordham prior to the Wednesday hearing.
In Lafayette County, Fordham is charged with felony counts of burglary, repeated sexual assault of the same child, child sexual exploitation and using a computer to facilitate a sex crime, stemming from an incident that occurred on Feb. 2.
Court records indicate Fordham communicated with the teen-aged victim over Skype from his home in Spicer, Minn., and the victim asked him to come to Belmont so the two could elope in Texas. Fordham later told police he and the victim were going to go to "McCallanville" in Texas, a fictional location where Fordham alleged he would begin working as a drug dealer and hit-man for the Mexican cartel.
Fordham allegedly stole his mother's vehicle and arrived in Belmont on Feb. 2. He then allegedly broke into the victim's guardian's home by climbing to a second-story window, which was left open by the victim. Fordham proceeded to stay in the victim's room without her guardian's knowledge for two days, during which Fordham allegedly sexually assaulted the victim at least three times. Fordham was arrested on Feb. 4 after the victim's guardian found him lying between the wall and bed when the victim had left the door to her room unlocked.
After Fordham was arrested, he was seen by two doctors for a competency diagnosis to determine if he suffers from any mental illness. The results of the competency diagnosis have not yet been released.
If convicted for the maximum penalty on all counts Fordham could face up to 135 years imprisonment or $350,000 in fines or both.
District Attorney Kate Findley said Corey Fordham, Spicer, Minn., was in custody in Kandiyohi County in Minnesota on a charge of third-degree sexual assault and was recently released on bond, but he did not show for his Lafayette County court date. Findley said she spoke with a Kandiyohi prosecuting attorney and learned of Fordham's charges. Online court records in Minnesota show no active charges against Fordham.
"He is not in custody, so there is no excuse for him not to be here," Findley said.
Philip Brehm, Fordham's defense attorney, said he was unaware of Fordham's pending charges in Minnesota and was not able to get in touch with Fordham prior to the Wednesday hearing.
In Lafayette County, Fordham is charged with felony counts of burglary, repeated sexual assault of the same child, child sexual exploitation and using a computer to facilitate a sex crime, stemming from an incident that occurred on Feb. 2.
Court records indicate Fordham communicated with the teen-aged victim over Skype from his home in Spicer, Minn., and the victim asked him to come to Belmont so the two could elope in Texas. Fordham later told police he and the victim were going to go to "McCallanville" in Texas, a fictional location where Fordham alleged he would begin working as a drug dealer and hit-man for the Mexican cartel.
Fordham allegedly stole his mother's vehicle and arrived in Belmont on Feb. 2. He then allegedly broke into the victim's guardian's home by climbing to a second-story window, which was left open by the victim. Fordham proceeded to stay in the victim's room without her guardian's knowledge for two days, during which Fordham allegedly sexually assaulted the victim at least three times. Fordham was arrested on Feb. 4 after the victim's guardian found him lying between the wall and bed when the victim had left the door to her room unlocked.
After Fordham was arrested, he was seen by two doctors for a competency diagnosis to determine if he suffers from any mental illness. The results of the competency diagnosis have not yet been released.
If convicted for the maximum penalty on all counts Fordham could face up to 135 years imprisonment or $350,000 in fines or both.