Fort Scott woman accused of child molestation

A Bourbon County judge Wednesday granted a continuance of the preliminary hearing for a 31-year-old woman accused of molesting a 12-year-old child.

Mark Fern, attorney for Kerri Cassett, asked Sixth Judicial District Judge Mark Ward to continue the hearing because of a last-minute notification of a plea offer from Bourbon County Attorney Terri Johnson.

A plea/status conference hearing was set for Sept. 7.

Cassett, Fort Scott, has been accused of "lewd fondling and touching" of the 12-year-old child.

In June, Johnson charged her with one felony count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, which carries a prison term of 25 years to life upon conviction. At the time of the alleged incident, the child was 11 years old. No other details of case have been made public in court records.

Ward granted the continuance based on the severity of the charge. Fern told the judge because of the complexity of the case, he needed time to fully go over the proposed plea agreement with Cassett.

Johnson said all of the witnesses were present and the state was ready to proceed with hearing. She said if the preliminary is continued, the plea offered on Wednesday would be "off the table."

Also, Fern filed a motion for Southeast Kansas Regional Correctional Center, where Cassett is being held at in lieu of $100,000 cash surety bond, to allow mental health treatment for her.

If the defendant posts bond, Ward ordered her to have no contact with the victim, witnesses in the case, or any person under the age of 18.

Under the American justice system, every defendant is considered innocent of the crime with which he or she has been charged unless or until convicted in a court of law.