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ST. GEORGE — A defendant with a juvenile criminal history of sex crimes was in court on two recent cases involving rape and other charges filed last year in St. George, a hearing conducted to determine if the defendant, who has the highest risk rating, should remain free pending trial.
The Thursday hearing involved the case of 20-year-old Avery Jared Anderson, who faces one first-degree felony rape and two second-degree felony charges – sexual exploitation of a minor and aggravated assault. He also faces unlawful sexual activity with a minor more than four years younger – charges that were filed in two separate cases.
The proceeding was to rule on whether to revoke Anderson's pretrial release, a motion submitted by Washington County Prosecutor Jim Weeks.
During oral arguments before District Judge Keith C. Barnes, Weeks said Anderson "is a danger to the community," while defense attorney Ricky Bonewell countered, saying, "I don't see that he's any type of a danger."