DOUGLAS — Nearly two months after he fled to California while skipping his arraignment on dozens of child sex abuse and exploitation charges, John C. Smallbone was finally in a Converse County courtroom Tuesday afternoon for his plea hearing.
Showing little emotion, the 38-year-old sat shackled at the ankles and wrists next to his court-appointed public defender in jail-issued orange scrubs with a long-sleeved off-white shirt underneath and orange Crocs.
It took Converse County District Court Judge F. Scott Peasley 20 full minutes to read through the 80 charges Smallbone faces, asking each time if he understood the individual charges against him.
“Yes, your honor,” Smallbone answered matter-of-factly dozens of times.
Those charges range from first-degree attempted sexual of a minor to voyeurism to possessing child pornography relating to eight underage girls ages 12-14, with many of the actions alleged to have happened in Smallbone’s home.
When Peasley finally asked how Smallbone pleads to the charges, his public defender, Denny Harts answered: “He’ll be entering a plea of not guilty to all counts.”
That was followed by Smallbone also stating, “Not guilty,” which drew some mumbled ...