Staff writer
A man charged in February 2017 with 12 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child younger than 14 and one count of battery of a child has had his trial delayed a second time.
Jerry Thouvenell, 57, Marion, appeared in court Monday afternoon, where District Judge Mike Powers agreed to set the start of Thouvenell’s trial, expected to last four days, back to Dec. 17.
The delay was not without a warning from Powers, who said he understood an evaluation that needs to be done before Thouvenell’s trial costs money, but he expected it to be completed before the December trial.
“When we get there, I want to be ready to go,” Powers said.
Powers also said that since the delay was caused by Thouvenell, he could not later complain that he didn’t get a speedy trial.
Thouvenell’s trial was originally scheduled for June, then postponed to September before being postponed again Monday.
His alleged offenses involved three victims and allegedly occurred between Jan. 1, 2012, and Aug. 8, 2016.
In each indecent liberties count, Thouvenell is accused of unlawfully engaging in lewd fondling or touching of a child with the intent to arouse or to satisfy sexual desires of himself or the child.
When he was arrested in February 2017, his wife, Sheila Thouvenell, 51, was arrested also.
She was charged with three counts of aggravated intimidation of a witness for allegedly preventing a witness from reporting a crime and two counts of aggravated child endangerment. She struck a plea agreement and pleaded guilty in April to interference with law enforcement. She was sentenced June 4 to one year probation.