A May trial date has been set for a Lancaster man charged with raping a Delaware County girl.
Brent Plummer, 26, appeared before Delaware County Common Pleas Judge David Gormley Monday morning, where he entered a not-guilty plea to nine counts of rape, which are first-degree felonies, and three counts of gross sexual imposition, fourth-degree felonies.
Gormley continued Plummer’s $75,000 bond — which was set in Delaware Municipal Court on Feb. 25 — and stipulated that if he is released, he is to have no contact with the alleged victim, a 14-year-old from Genoa Township. Gormley also set a trial date for May 17 and a final pretrial hearing for April 27.
Prosecutors say they expect the trial will last two days.
Plummer was in the Delaware County Jail Monday afternoon.
Plummer was indicted on March 3 by a Delaware County grand jury. Court documents indicate that the offenses occurred between Jan. 1 and Feb. 22 in Delaware County.
Genoa Township Police Sgt. Rich Lyon said March 3 that an investigation of Plummer began after another party came to the Genoa Township Police Department with the victim and asked to file a report.
Lyon said there were “at least three” occasions that Plummer sexually assaulted the alleged victim.
One such instance was detailed in a criminal complaint filed in Delaware Municipal Court on Feb. 24 by Genoa Township police detectives.
The complaint states that on or about Dec. 31, 2015, Plummer picked up the girl and took her to an address on Hillegas Farm Drive in Westerville where he forced the girl to perform oral sex. The complaint also said he penetrated her with his fingers and attempted to have anal sex with her.
After the complaint was filed, a warrant for Plummer’s arrest was issued.
Lyon said that although Plummer is already facing 12 charges, he may be indicted again as the investigation progresses.
“It’s still an active investigation,” Lyon said.
Lyon said the original charges were filed to get Plummer in custody and “protect the public.” Now that the alleged victim is safe, he said, investigators will continue to consider additional charges.
