Strong man charged with sexual abuse of a minor

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STRONG – A missing persons case eventually resulted in a Strong man being arrested on a misdemeanor sexual abuse charge Monday.

Matthew Abbott, 22 of Strong, has been charged with sexual abuse of a minor, a misdemeanor, following an investigation by Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Lt. David St. Laurent.

According to St. Laurent, police became involved after someone in Jay reported late Sunday that a female family member under the age of 16 was missing. The girl was missing from approximately 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. Monday morning, when St. Laurent became involved.

St. Laurent interviewed several people involved with the matter, including Abbott, then arrested the Strong man on the misdemeanor charge.

Abbott was transported to Franklin County Detention Center and later released on $150 cash bail. His first scheduled court appearance is Nov. 24.

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13 Comments

  1. What has this world come to?? Sexual abuse on a minor is a misdemeanor? Then released on $150 cash bail. Absolutely ridiculous and sick!!

  2. Remember folks, there is always 2 sides to every story, and one is innocent until proven guilty. As for the misdemeanor rate, read the statute. 17A section 254

  3. I know this young man personally and he wouldn’t intentionally hurt anyone. There are 2 sides to every story. Let’s not judge until we know both sides.

  4. What’s this world come to? Human rights is what this world has come to. People today seem to think that accused and convicted people have to have rights. A death warrant is too harsh, public beatings are too harsh, long jail sentences are too harsh, giving short to medium jail sentences are not harsh enough. Well do away with criminals’ rights and find some judges willing to hand down lashes or a death sentence and make punishment mean something again. But as long as bleeding hearts feel the need to grant rights to those who abuse them the justice system will remain broken. Kind of hard to violate again if there is nothing to violate with. Might make people think twice if their manhood was at stake.

  5. Please ppl. Remember that ppl are innocent until proven guilty. There are 2 sides and one will be the truth or a lie.
    I agree 150 cash bail for something like this isn’t enough, but how do we know what happened only what is written.
    Even if this young man is found innocent it will be with him all his life
    If he is guilty then the system will punish him

  6. hrtlss bstrd…..Right on man! Even if the accused in this particular case is not guilty of whatever it is they are accused of…yata, yata. For the vast majority of crime cases your post sums it all up. I could not agree more.

  7. hrtlss bstrd,
    This is our government. An accusation is just that. A conviction is different. An accused person has rights…. they should. Any one can accuse anyone of anything…. just because they are accused does NOT mean they did it. I know many cases where a person is mad at their ex and falsely accuse them. The accused person must have rights UNTIL proven guilty. Once guilty they are convicted of the crime. At that time the convicted person does have many of their rights taken away. They of course have human rights.

    I do not know of this person or case. I hope the accusations are wrong. I hope there are no victims that have to deal with the memory of this for the rest of their lives. If convicted… throw the book at him.

    I am not disagreeing with what else you say about our justice system.. but please do not assume without a trial that accused means guilty.

    About $150…. I am trusting that our DA feels the fine fits the crime and it is not as a grievous as a crime as could be under law.

  8. Please remember there are two sides to every story, the reporter doesn’t always state things as they really are. Also that you are innocent until proven guilty! If you don’t know the whole story should you make a comment?

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