Man pleads not guilty to sexual abuse

A Green River man accused of having intercourse with a 14-year-old girl pleaded not guilty to a felony charge.

Marshall L. Mechling Jr., 20, of Jamestown, appeared in the Third District Court of Judge Richard Lavery at an arraignment to second degree sexual abuse of a minor. If found guilty of the charge, Mechling Jr. could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000. A jury trial has been scheduled to take place Oct. 11 at 9 a.m.

According to court documents, on Feb. 29, 2016, a Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Deputy was called to the Sweetwater County Health Nursing Office in Green River to check on a possible sexual abuse case.

Upon arrival, the deputy spoke with health nurse Doni Drake, who said Mechling Jr. had allegedly had sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl.

The girl spoke to the deputy and said on Feb. 20, 2016, in the Cord Wood area, near FMC Park she and a lot of other kids were hanging out drinking.

She said she and two of her friends left the bonfire with Mechling Jr; and after they dropped other kids off she and her two friends went to Mechling Jr’s trailer in Jamestown.

One of her friends went to bed in the spare bedroom, her other friend went to sleep on the couch and she slept with Mechling Jr. in his bed. She said during that night she and Mechling Jr allegedly had sexual intercourse. She told the deputy she was not forced to have intercourse with him.

The girl said she decided to go to the nursing office because she had heard rumors that Mechling Jr. had an STD or the AIDS virus. She contacted her school counselor, who set up the appointment for her to be checked out for sexually transmitted diseases. Drake, a mandated reporter, then called dispatch.

The deputy then spoke with the girl’s mother who said she had no idea anything had happened until she got a call from her daughter while she was at the nurse’s office.

The mom said Mechling Jr. had brought her 14-year-old daughter home intoxicated prior to this incident; and she told him he “had no right to take a 14-year-old girl out and get her drunk and then bring her home.”

She said Mechling Jr. knew how old her daughter was.