Rockford 17-year-old charged in sexual abuse

By Chris Baldus | cbaldus@charlescitypress.com

A 17-year-old from Rockford is charged with felony level sexual abuse over an alleged Sept. 3 incident.

Christopher Walker Lord “admitted to having sexual intercourse in an upstairs closet with a 13-year-old female at his residence,” according to the criminal complaint filed Oct. 7 by the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office.

Floyd County Attorney Rachel Ginbey filed the third-degree sexual abuse charge, a class C felony, on Oct. 12.

An order banning contact by Lord with his alleged victim was put in place by District Court Judge DeDra Schroeder.

Public Defender Nellie O’Mara has been appointed to represent Lord.

She has filed a motion to have the case transferred to juvenile court. “There are reasonable prospects for rehabilitating the child in the event the court transfers jurisdiction to the Juvenile Court,” she included among her arguments.

A hearing on the motion will be at 2 p.m. Nov. 28, in the Floyd County Courthouse.

The county’s juvenile probation officer was ordered to conduct an investigation for the hearing.

Ginbey resists the transfer to juvenile court. In a filing she said a reverse waiver to juvenile court would not be appropriate. “It was not an isolated incident and it was done by force or against the will of the child victim,” she wrote.

“Further, due to the defendant’s age, there is not sufficient time for him to be rehabilitated or receive services as a juvenile,” she also wrote.

Lord is in the Mitchell County Jail. His bond is set at $10,000 cash or surety. O’Mara has filed a motion to have his bond reviewed to allow him to post 10 percent of the bond, “an amount the defendant can afford.”

Lord’s arraignment and a bond review hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 31 in Floyd County District Court.

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