Trial set for man in touching child case; another serving time for contact with minor
Published 8:15 pm Tuesday, May 16, 2017
A Bogue Chitto man indicted for touching a child for lustful purposes is set for trial in Lincoln County Circuit Court June 20.
Elijah Lewis Kelly, 49, remains in Lincoln County jail with a $50,000 bond.
A Lincoln County grand jury indicted him during its August 2015 term, saying in the indictment that Kelly “did handle, touch or rub” a girl under the age of 16.
His trial has been reset several times, once because it was left off the docket, according to court documents.
Kelly is set to go before Lincoln County Circuit Judge Michael Taylor.
He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years and a $5,000 fine. The minimum sentence is two years with a $1,000 fine.
Another Bogue Chitto man, Joshua Holifield, was recently sentenced to 30 days and two years of good-behavior probation — which means not committing another crime, not owning, carrying or concealing a firearm and not using or possessing illegal drugs — after pleading guilty earlier this month to contributing to the delinquency of a minor, which is a misdemeanor.
Holifield, 19, is serving his time in the Lincoln County jail.
He must also pay a $500 fine and court costs, according to court documents.
Holifield was sentenced by Circuit Judge David H. Strong.
He was originally indicted by a Lincoln County grand jury in 2015. The grand jury, in its indictment, said in the first count that Holifield did “feloniously handle, touch or rub with his hand and/or other part of his body” a female younger than 16.
The indictment for the second count said that at least once between June 1 and Nov. 3 of 2015, Holifield had sex with the girl, who was at least 14 but under 16 at the time, according to court records.
A motion was submitted by Assistant District Attorney Diane Jones May 4 for count one to be amended to the reduced misdemeanor charge. Count two was ordered nolle prosequi, which means Holifield was not prosecuted on the sexual battery charge.