Kasson man’s two rape trials scheduled in April and August
(ABC 6 News) – UPDATE: Gaw appeared in Olmsted County Court on both 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct cases Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024.
He is scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing on the 2024 sexual assault charge April 3, followed by a jury trial beginning April 8.
He is scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing on the 2023 sexual assault charge July 31, followed by a jury trial beginning Aug. 5.
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(ABC 6 News) – A Kasson man faces a new sexual assault charge days before his trial on a previous rape charge.
Kasson resident James Dylan Gaw, 19, was taken into custody in August of 2023, after a vulnerable 18-year-old told law enforcement he had forcibly raped her.
RELATED: Kasson man faces charge of raping vulnerable adult – ABC 6 News – kaaltv.com
Gaw was scheduled to appear for a Dodge County Court pre-trial hearing on the charge of 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct–victim mentally impaired/physically helpless on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024.
Two days before his pretrial hearing, Gaw was arrested on a new charge of 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct–penetration of child under age 18, use of coercion.
According to court documents, on Feb. 6, 2024, an Olmsted County deputy received messages from a juvenile who said her friend had been sexually assaulted.
When law enforcement spoke to the child, she said Gaw had sexually assaulted her before Christmas of 2023, according to court documents.
According to court documents, the juvenile said Gaw had reached out to her via social media, then asked her to meet at a park.
She told law enforcement Gaw assaulted her and she was “terrified the entire time,” according to documents.
On February 19, police allegedly asked Gaw to come to the police statement for a statement, which he did not make without a lawyer present.
However, as he was being handcuffed and told he would be held on a criminal sexual conduct charge, Gaw allegedly asked if “this” was about the juvenile.
He is currently held in the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center, and is scheduled to appear on both criminal sexual conduct charges at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21.