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| Dec. 2, 2009: Seeking the Truth: Silsbee teens indicted in sexual assault case |
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Posted: Thursday, December 3, 2009 3:14 pm
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ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 2, 2009
By GERRY L. DICKERT
The Bee
More than a year after an initial investigation into an alleged sexual assault, a Hardin County Grand Jury has indicted two Silsbee teens in the case.
Christian Rountree, 19, and Rahkeem Bolton, 18, were indicted this past Tuesday on a charge of sexual assault of a child in relation to an incident that is said to have taken place at a house party in October 2008.
Rountree and Bolton eventually turned themselves in to authorities this past week and were held on bonds of $250,000. Both made bond and were released.
This is the second time the case has gone before a Hardin County grand jury. The first hearing in January resulted in a no-bill with the jurors saying there was not enough evidence to take the case to trial.
“They looked at the evidence and decided there was no reason to pursue the case any further,” said Sheffield after the jury’s January decision. “I certainly knew the (no-bill decision) was a possibility. I’m not surprised by the decision after seeing the evidence I’ve been privy to.”
But the family of the cheerleader later pursued a civil lawsuit against Sheffield, members of the administration and staff of Silsbee ISD as well as Rountree and Bolton. That suit was later dismissed by a federal court.
In the meantime, though, a special prosecutor was appointed by a district judge to handle the renewed interest in the sexual assault case by a new grand jury. Attorney David Barlow collected information from the initial investigation and presented that to the new grand jury, which chose to indict Rountree and Bolton. A court date has not yet been set in the proceedings.
The case began in October 2008 when Rountree and Bolton and an unnamed juvenile, all football players at Silsbee High School, were accused of sexually assaulting a cheerleader at a house party in Silsbee.
The party took place at 324 Pinewood in Silsbee at the home owned by Stacy Darlene Riley. Riley was later arrested and charged with providing alcohol to minors. According to reports, she was home at the time the party in question took place.
After the arrest of Rountree and Bolton, an emergency protective order was put into place, sending the two young men into the Silsbee ISD alternative education facility, located at the old high school on Payne Street in Silsbee. When charges were dropped by the January grand jury, both boys were allowed to return to regular classes.
Rountree is now a student at Lamar University in Beaumont but Bolton is a senior still attending classes at Silsbee High School. As to whether Bolton will be allowed to continue attending regular classes, or any classes at all in Silsbee ISD, Superintendent Richard Bain Jr. said he is unable to comment.
“We’re working on that right now,” he said. “But we just can’t discuss disciplinary issues in regards to students.”
According to Silsbee Police Chief Dennis Allen, officers from his department were called out at about 2:40 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, in reference to a sexual assault.
After officers responded, they met with the victim, a 16-year-old female, who claimed she had been sexually assaulted during a party that was attended by several students from Silsbee High School.
The girl accused the three young men of cornering her in a room in the house where the party was taking place, locking the door to the room and assaulting her sexually.
Chief Allen said that when the girl screamed out for help, others at the party attempted to get into the room, which prompted the three men in question to jump from a bathroom window to escape.
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