Bond listening to held for Richmond County man charged with little one rape and incest

ROCKINGHAM — On Thursday, the honorable Choose Amy Wilson presided over a bond listening to in Courtroom B of the Richmond County Judicial Middle for alleged little one rapist, Johnny Buck Cowick III.

On April 27, Cowick was booked into the Richmond County Jail for a six crimes, together with expenses of rape of a kid, incest, crimes in opposition to nature, indecent liberties with a toddler, and intercourse offense by an individual in a parental position. He was positioned underneath a $750,000 secured bond.

Amber Hardy on behalf of the district legal professional’s workplace opened in response to a protection movement for bond discount. In line with the North Carolina Convention of District Attorneys, Hardy is a juvenile justice prosecutor.

Hardy described that Cowick’s accuser, who she prefers to name a survivor moderately than a sufferer, was current within the courtroom with members of her household.

Hardy defined that the costs stemmed from offenses courting again to 2011. She advised the court docket that Cowick had actively molested his stepdaughter from the age of 4 till she was 15. The offenses in query embrace digital, vaginal and anal penetration. Hardy maintained that Cowick additionally integrated intercourse toys throughout his assaults.

Hardy went on to stipulate how Cowick’s acts had been initially found and resulted in his present confinement.

In April of 2023, throughout sexual assault consciousness month, the sufferer made a sequence of social media posts illustrating her decade lengthy nightmare. The movies define the sufferer’s abuse over the course of her adolescence and point out the psychological struggles she has endured since.

Hardy mentioned these movies had been seen by a involved citizen who in the end submitted them to regulation enforcement, spurring an investigation. In line with Hardy, Cowick admitted his transgressions to the sufferer’s mom, his important different. Moreover, per Hardy, the sufferer advised her mom that she was being molested, however regulation enforcement was by no means notified.

Hardy described the sufferer’s mom’s response — “I ought to have accomplished one thing. Was I incorrect? Sure, all I wished to do was shield my household and pals.” Hardy mentioned Cowick is on video apologizing to the sufferer and that the sufferer has textual content messages and movies of Cowick admitting abuse.

Hardy mentioned the prosecutorial group speculates that there are different victims who usually are not ready to return ahead but.

Kelly Dawkins, a former Assistant District Lawyer for Moore County, representing Cowick, supplied his retort in protection.

Dawkins indicated that there are 12 years between the alleged offenses and the date of reporting, claiming that it is a “he mentioned, she mentioned” case. Hawkins, in an effort to have Cowick’s bond diminished, acknowledged that it’s tough to defend his shopper whereas he stays in custody.

Dawkins went on to impugn the actions of the sufferer’s mom, stating that she has constantly visited his shopper in jail, and is longing for the defendant’s launch.

“We merely have an allegation,” Dawkins mentioned, whereas sustaining that the prosecution has no DNA or forensic proof within the case. Dawkins reiterated that an allegation was tendered a decade after an alleged occasion, such that Cowick has been detained and remanded with no proof.

Dawkins acknowledged that Cowick is neither a flight threat nor a hazard to the neighborhood. He mentioned that Cowick has household in Richmond County and has an extended tenure of employment at St Andrews Faculty with out incident.

“The bond appears exceedingly punitive underneath the circumstances,” Dawkins mentioned.

Dawkins, in closing, belabored {that a} $750,000 bond is wholly unreasonable, contemplating that Dawkins claims to have represented shoppers accused of homicide, with decrease bonds.

Hardy vehemently rebuked Dawkins’ argument for bond discount.

“Should you inform, I’ll go to jail,” Cowick allegedly advised the sufferer, mentioned Hardy. She continued, “Should you don’t let me do that to you, I’m going to get it out of your siblings.”

Hardy mentioned that Cowick has been charged with 4 B1 felonies, and that the prosecution has a possibility to hunt additional expenses. She mentioned that Cowick has an eight-year-old little one and that the district legal professional’s workplace has concern for the kid and the neighborhood.

Choose Amy Wilson denied Dawkins’ movement to have Cowick’s bond diminished.

A grand jury will convene on June 26 to evaluate the prosecution’s proof and decide if there’s possible trigger to challenge an indictment.

Johnny Buck Cowick III, based mostly on the elemental precepts of due course of underneath the regulation, is presumed harmless till confirmed responsible.