Sisters youth charged with rape

A 16-year-old Sisters youth has been charged with rape in connection with an incident that occurred last February 6, at SOAR (Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation).

The 16-year-old male was charged as an adult. The alleged victim is a 12-year-old girl. According to Deputy District Attorney Brentley Foster, the 16-year-old has been charged with: one count of sodomy in the first degree; one count of rape in the first degree; three counts of sex abuse in the first degree; one count of sodomy in the second degree; and one count of rape in the second degree.

All counts are felonies and carry mandatory prison sentences.

According to Foster, the 16-year-old is "currently indicted as an adult." It is not clear yet whether he will actually be tried as an adult.

Foster declined to discuss any details of the case, citing its sensitive nature. SOAR officials also declined to comment, citing the constraints of the ongoing investigation. However, they did indicate that they do not believe the incident reflects a security problem at SOAR.

The alleged perpetrator was in custody briefly in March and was released by a judge on March 18.

The alleged perpetrator was scheduled for a court hearing on April 21, but that hearing was expected to be continued.

Editor's note: The Nugget does not identify victims of sex crimes.

This paper does identify juvenile offenders who are charged as adults with felony crimes. However, because it is not clear yet whether the 16-year-old alleged perpetrator will be tried as an adult, The Nugget will not identify him at this time.