It’s likely a convicted sex offender will remain behind bars for the foreseeable future after a bond hearing was continued earlier this week.
On Tuesday, Sept. 17, Chief District Court Judge Doug Walker postponed a bond hearing until next month for Andrew Allmon, 54, of Cortez. The convicted sex offender was indicted by a grand jury last month on nine new felony counts of sexual assault on a child.
“I am not inclined to reduce bond at this time,” Judge Walker told Allmon on Tuesday morning.
Public defender Amy Smith requested Judge Walker either reduce her clients’ original $75,000 cash surety bond or replace it with a personal recognizance bond. She argued a family member relies on Allmon for medical care, and stated that he has been a resident of Cortez for 24 years.
“These are just allegations, and the charges are just one aspect in setting bond,” she told Judge Walker.
District Attorney Will Furse argued that Allmon is a repeat offender, stating that a 2007 sexual crime involving a 10-year-old boy mirrors allegations in the current case, which involves an 8-year-old girl.
“We don’t think a bond reduction is appropriate,” Furse said.
Judge Walker sided with Smith’s argument that new bond guidelines adopted across the state should be examined in the case, postponing the bond hearing until 1:30 p.m. Oct. 7.
The current charges stem from incidents over a two-week period in June at Allmon’s N. State Street residence. Court records allege Allmon not only touched the victim, but also forced the victim to touch him while the two watched television together.
The indictment charges Allmon with three counts of sexual assault on a child less than 15 years of age, three counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and three counts of sexual assault on a child with a pattern of abuse.
Court records reveal the allege abuse started six weeks after Allmon invited the victim’s family to move into his residence while they were experiencing hard economic times.
Allmon was previously convicted in 2008 on charges of false imprisonment and sexual assault of a minor in San Juan County, N.M.
tbaker@cortezjournal.com