Conasauga Judicial Circuit Judge Cindy Morris denied a motion to set bond for a 36-year-old defendant accused of aggravated child molestation in Whitfield Superior Court on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
Per a bill of indictment, defendant Leeroy Sandoval is also accused of one count of aggravated sexual battery and one count of aggravated sodomy.
A bill of indictment alleges that the offenses took place between September and October of last year.
The named victim in the case is described as a minor “less than ten years of age.”
The defendant was represented by attorney Eddie Cossio at the hearing. Representing the state in the proceedings was Conasauga Judicial Circuit District Attorney Benjamin Kenemer.
“He has lived in Dalton his entire life,” Cossio told the court. “He has strong roots to the community, he does have some convictions in his past but he doesn’t have any failures to appear.”
Cossio described his client as “a good candidate” for bond.
“What he’s been charged with are just allegations from another party,” he said. “There was no investigation on his end of kind of what occurred, so we believe this is going to be a case that will take a little while to resolve.”
Cossio requested that a “reasonable bond” be set for his client, but he did not specify an exact monetary amount before the court.
Kenemer said the defendant has half a dozen previous felony convictions.
“He has a conviction for riot in a penal institution, that appears to be a 2017 indictment,” he told the court. “He has a violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act in 2008, that’s in our jurisdiction, as well.”
Continuing, Kenemer said the defendant was previously convicted of two counts of aggravated assault in a 2012 Whitfield County case.
“He appears to have a robbery conviction in 2008,” Kenemer said. “He appears to have a conviction for possession of cocaine, a felony as well. The final felony conviction appears to be … a street gang activity conviction from April 2009.”
If the case goes to trial and the defendant is found guilty of the charges, Kenemer said he believes it is likely that Sandoval would be sentenced to life in prison without parole for the offenses.
“He is a risk to reoffend if released,” he said.
Judge Morris cited the defendant’s “extensive felony record” is her rationale for denying the bond motion.
Arraignment for Sandoval is tentatively set for April 5.
Patricia Lee Sandoval, 27, is listed as a codefendant in the case.
Per a bill of indictment, she is charged with one count of aggravated sodomy and one count of aggravated child molestation involving the same named victim in the case.
The indictment alleges that she aided her co-defendant by “intentionally encouraging, counseling and procuring another person” to commit an immoral and indecent act.
A similar bond motion for Patricia Lee Sandoval was scheduled to be heard in Whitfield Superior Court on Feb. 13. The attorney representing her, however, informed the prosecution that she had withdrawn that bond motion.
“I would be asking for it to be placed on the same date as the co-defendant for arraignment,” Kenemer said.