Judge rejects plea deal in Blackford County molest case
HARTFORD CITY, Ind. — A judge has rejected a proposed plea agreement in the case of a Hartford City man accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a child.
Bryan Gonzalez-Medina, 30, was charged in September 2022 with eight counts of child molesting — four Level 1 felonies, each carrying up to 40 years in prison, and four Level 4 felonies, each with a maximum 12-year sentence.
He was accused of sexually abusing a pre-teen girl several times over a one-year period. Hartford City police and the state Department of Child Services conducted an ensuing investigation.
In an interview with a Hartford City police detective, Gonzalez-Medina reportedly admitted to several of his accuser's allegations.
A plea agreement signed in October called for the Hartford City man to plead guilty to two of the Level 4 felony molesting charges and receive a 12-year sentence — 11 years of incarceration followed by a year on probation.
The remaining six charges would have been dismissed.
At a hearing this week, Blackford Circuit Court Judge Brian Bade rejected the deal and set the case for trial on Feb. 27.
In a court order, Bade noted the county's chief probation officer had recommended the terms of the plea agreement not be accepted.
The judge also ruled accepting the plea agreement could "seriously impact the public's perception of the seriousness with which law enforcement investigates and pursues alleged cases of child molesting in Blackford County."
Gonzalez-Medina continues to be held in the Blackford County jail under a $100,000 cash bond.
In other court news:
Plea bargain: A rural Hartford City man charged with sexually abusing a pre-teen girl has negotiated a plea agreement with Blackford County prosecutors.
James Darrell Hatton, 44, was charged in April with child molesting, a Level 4 felony.
However, the terms of a plea bargain signed on Monday call for Hatton to plead guilty to neglect of a dependent, a Level 6 felony, and receive a 910-day sentence — a year on home detention, followed by 545 days on probation.
A change-of-plea haring is now set for Jan. 8 in Blackford Circuit Court.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Judge rejects plea agreement in Blackford County molesting case
