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Case against alleged sex offender in Moffat County continued

Scott Schlaufman

A 29-year-old man charged with 40 felonies, including sexual exploitation of children and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, appeared Tuesday in Moffat County District Court.

The man is charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of children, a Class 3 felony; four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a Class 4 felony; and 33 counts of sexual exploitation of a child, also a Class 4 felony. He is also charged with indecent exposure, a misdemeanor.

The suspect appeared in court via video from Moffat County Jail.



His name is being withheld in accordance with newspaper policy to not reveal names of people accused of sexual-related offenses unless convicted.

He appeared before Michael O’Hara, chief judge of the 14th Judicial District, and is being represented by public defender Emily Wickham.



The suspect was scheduled to be arraigned and enter a plea Tuesday, however the case was continued to 1 p.m. Jan. 24.

Jon Pfeifer, a Moffat County deputy district attorney, said the district attorney’s office has entered into plea discussions with the suspect. He said he could not comment on details of those discussions.

The suspect was formally char-

ged in September after an arrest warrant was issued June 25.

According to court records, the Craig Police Department began investigating the man in April after a report of alleged sexual abuse.

Two search warrants in April allegedly resulted in the confiscation of two laptops, two cell phones, 47 DVD/CDs, seven VHS tapes and a digital camera, according to records.

Thirteen of the DVD/CDs allegedly contained photos of young girls barely clothed or nude. Images were also allegedly found on one of the laptops, a cell phone and in his bedroom.

Dinosaur man’s case continued

A 63-year-old man connected with an accidental shooting in October was also scheduled to appear Tuesday in district court.

Terry Billings, the grandfather and guardian of a 4-year-old boy and 2-year-old girl, was charged in October with child abuse, a Class 4 felony, and reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor.

He was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday and enter a plea. However, he was unable to be present in court and his case was continued until Jan. 11.

Billings is being represented by Steamboat Springs attorney Douglas Timmerman and took part in the hearing by phone.

Deputy district attorney Marguerite Carr said the district attorney’s office has negotiated and made a plea offer to Billings.

“Based off what his attorney said, we’re going to do the paperwork and it does sound like he’s going to accept it,” said Carr, who did not comment on specifics of the plea offer.

On Oct. 4, the boy allegedly shot the girl in the arm. The bullet allegedly went through her right torso but did not hit any bones or organs.

Billings allegedly left a .357 handgun in an area accessible to children. The gun, registered to Billings, allegedly was left in his bedroom, investigators said.


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