MURRAY – After being arrested last week in unrelated cases, two Murray men made their first appearance before Calloway District Judge Randall Hutchens Tuesday to be arraigned on felony charges related to the alleged sexual assault of minors.
Matthew Adams, 28, was arrested Oct. 18 and charged with two counts of first-degree rape, three counts of distributing obscene material to a minor and one count of first-degree indecent exposure, according to a Murray Police Department (MPD) press release.
Dustin Owen, 39, was arrested Oct. 19 on charges of third-degree rape and custodial interference after he allegedly admitted to having sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old, MPD said in a separate release.
Both men are being held at the Calloway County Detention Center on $25,000 and $20,000 bonds, respectively.
MPD Detective Sergeant Justin Swope filed the complaint warrant in Adams’ case. According to his affidavit, the Kentucky Department of Community Based Services (DCBS) contacted him in late September regarding the potential sexual assault of a juvenile under 12 after the victim’s cousin disclosed the alleged abuse at school.
The day prior, Adams attempted suicide and was admitted to Murray-Calloway County Hospital, the affidavit stated. Adams’ wife gave MPD an alleged suicide note that referenced the allegations.
According to Swope, Adams digitally penetrated the victim on at least two occasions, exposed the juvenile to explicit sexual acts by showing pornographic videos on three separate occasions and exposed his genitals multiple times by urinating within her line of sight.
Swope noted that the alleged victim was able to recount the assaults in vivid detail. “There is no indication the [victim] was influenced or coached into this disclosure,” he wrote.
An arrest warrant was issued for Adams Oct. 2 and served Oct. 17, following his discharge from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, where, according to court records, he was treated for injuries sustained in “an accident.” It is unclear if those injuries were related to Adams’ suicide attempt in late September. In a press release, MPD thanked the Vanderbilt University Police Department and Calloway County Sheriff’s Office Court Security for their assistance.
In Calloway District Court Tuesday, Hutchens appointed a public defender to represent Adams and scheduled his preliminary hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 9 a.m.
According to the uniform citation in Owen’s case, which was also penned by Swope, MPD recently received notice from the Kentucky State Police that troopers located a missing juvenile from Calloway County. KSP also reported making contact with Owen, who told troopers he was dropping off his friend.
MPD was already familiar with Owen because of an incident earlier this year when the same juvenile was found at his home after being reported missing, Swope wrote. At the time, Owen reportedly admitted that the two had engaged in sexual contact but said the minor claimed to be 18 years old. Per Swope’s account, he informed Owen that the victim was actually under the age of 18 and instructed him to call law enforcement immediately if the juvenile attempted to contact him again in the future.
Regarding the most recent incident, Owen allegedly told Swope that the victim showed up at his home late the night before, very upset and looking for a place to stay. He agreed to let the minor spend the night despite receiving previous instructions to contact law enforcement. According to the uniform citation, Owen admitted to having sexual intercourse despite knowing the victim was underage and told Swope that “he was lonely and let hormones get the best of him.”
Murray attorney Chris Hendricks represents Owen. In Calloway District Court Tuesday, he waived formal arraignment and entered a not guilty plea on behalf of his client before asking the judge to consider lowering the bond amount.
“I think, based on the seriousness of the offense, I will not amend at this time,” Hutchens replied. “You can talk about it next time.”
Owen’s preliminary hearing is also scheduled at 9 a.m. on Oct. 29.
Individuals charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
