HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 23-year-old man charged in a child sex case was bound over for trial on the four counts against him then was arrested on two new charges filed by the state.
Tanner Ward faces arraignment for two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, aggravated burglary and criminal threat. The charges involving a child 14 to 16 years of age are alleged to have occurred on two dates, Jan. 9 and again on Jan. 11.
The aggravated burglary is alleged to have occurred on June 23 where he allegedly went into a home in the 100 block of East 5th to allegedly intimidate a victim or for a sexually motivated crime. The mother of the victim found him laying in her daughters bed. He was later found inside the garage of that home.
The final charge of criminal threat is alleged to have occurred on Feb. 15, where he allegedly threatened to cut another person’s head off. Saying once all this is over he would go to the victims mothers home and take care of her. In a conversation with his ex, he makes the statement, “off with her head.”
Ward has another case where he was originally arrested for burglary after he allegedly stole some copper pipes from the construction site at the Hutchinson Sports Arena, then took the pipes to Midwest Iron and Metal and sold them for cash. In doing so, he apparently signed papers saying the items were his. The state had not yet filed formal charges hoping for a plea agreement in the other case. District Attorney Keith Schroeder told the court that had he agreed to plead to one charge of indecent liberties with a child, he would have dropped the other charges and not file any new ones. Ward turned it down, so with this case, the state charged him with making false writing.
Ward is also alleged to have made contact with the alleged victim urging her to not show in court to testify telling her she wouldn’t be in trouble if she told them she simply forgot. Schroeder charged him with another count of Intimidation of a witness.
Arraignment on the original charges will be on Sept. 6, and the new charges will added to a waiver-status docket on Sept. 7.