BATTLE MOUNTAIN - An 18-year-old Lander County man is being charged with sexual assault, or in the alternative, lewdness for alleged actions that occurred on or about June 7 at a local motel.
According to the criminal complaint, the alleged victims were 13 and 15 years old. Undersheriff Robert Quick said the female teens were from out of town.
The Lander County district attorney's office filed two charges against Kody James Bellm with two alternative charges. Count one charges him with sexual assault against a child under the age of 14 with an alternative charge of lewdness with a child under the age of 14.
Count two charges him with sexual assault against a child under the age of 16 with an alternative charge of open or gross lewdness. The criminal complaint alleges that the crimes were committed upon the teens against their will.
The case will either be negotiated for a plea agreement or it will go to a jury trial and the jury will decide at the district court level which alternative sentence to go with, said District Attorney Angie Elquist.
An arraignment was held in the Argenta Justice Court July 15 for Bellm and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 30 at 1:30 p.m. in the justice court.
Bellm was arrested July 12 by Lander County sheriff's deputies on suspicion of sexual assault and open and gross lewdness.
As of July 17, Bellm was still in custody with his bail set at $505,000.
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