Bond was set at a half-million dollars in Marion County Court Tuesday for a 22-year-old Centralia man who faces four felony charges after allegedly sexually assaulting a Centralia woman at his home and refusing to let her leave.
James Wooten of the 900 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Drive called the charges lies and not true as Judge Joshua Morrison read the Class X aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated battery, and two unlawful restraint charges.
Wooten is accused in those charges of forcing the woman to have sex with him after impeding her breathing by putting pressure on her neck. One unlawful restraint charge claims he laid on top of her to prevent her from moving. The other claimed after she had made her way out onto the porch when saying she needed to use the bathroom, grabbed her neck, tried to silence her, and pulled her back towards the residence.
In the probable cause statement, State’s Attorney Tim Hudspeth said an employee of the nearby Casey’s East store saw the struggle and then assisted the alleged victim after she ran to the store after breaking away.
Hudspeth said the woman’s ordeal began when Wooten flagged her down and she gave him a ride. The alleged victim said she was familiar with Wooten from talking to him on Facebook. After driving around she became concerned because it appeared Wooten had a gun. After taking Wooten to his home she agreed to go briefly inside when the alleged sexual assault occurred. The alleged victim was able to turn on her phone recorder and record some of the ordeal.
Wooten wasn’t around when Centralia Police went to his home, but was arrested the following day after police had been called to a disturbance in the bathroom at the Casey’s East store.
Centralia Police have also filed reports against Wooten for two residential burglaries in April, but no charges have been filed in connection with those cases at the present time.
Judge Morrison appointed a public defender to represent Wooten who is due back in court July 11th for a preliminary hearing.
