BY DAN HORN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
A judge refused to lower the bond Thursday for a man accused of kidnapping, after prosecutors said they feared the man could be a serial rapist. Maurice Young, a former Cincinnati firefighter, had sought to reduce his $200,000 bond so he could return to his family before his trial.
But Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Thomas Crush denied the request, saying Mr. Young could pose a threat to the community. The judge's ruling came minutes after assistant prosecutor Gerald Krumpelbeck described how a 7-year-old girl was allegedly abducted as she walked to school on an Avondale sidewalk.
He said Mr. Young, 40, grabbed the girl, stuffed a sock in her mouth and tossed her into the back seat of his red Cadillac. Inside the car, Mr. Krumpelbeck said, police found a "kidnapping kit" that included ropes, tape and rubber gloves. Police have said several bystanders ran to Mr. Young's car and held him down until officers arrived.
Although the girl was freed within minutes, Mr. Krumpelbeck cited the planning that went into the alleged abduction.
"He laid in wait for this young girl," Mr. Krumpelbeck
said. "He could possibly be a serial rapist. The state of Ohio continues to investigate that he could have done this before." He later said police are studying unsolved rapes in other jurisdictions to determine whether there could be any link with them to Mr. Young. Mr. Young's attorney, Cornelius Lewis, argued that his client should get a lower bond because he has strong family ties to the community and no criminal record. Mr. Young's son, Rasheem, called his father "a very truthful man, a very honest man. He was always there for me."
In addition to kidnapping, Mr. Young is charged with attempted rape, felonious assault, possession of criminal tools and attempting to use a minor in nudity oriented materials. After his arrest, prosecutors say, Mr. Young told police: "I wasn't going to rape her. I was only going to take nude photos of her."
Judge Crush noted that the defense has suggested Mr. Young is not guilty by reason of insanity. "You've said he's mentally deranged," the judge told Mr. Lewis. "And you want me to set him loose on the streets?"
