Tuesday, June 23, 2009
ERIE, Pa. (AP) — A Montana man accused of taking a 14-year-old runaway girl from Pennsylvania to Arkansas has pleaded not guilty and has given up his right to a detention hearing.
Donald Ray Cates could have sought to be released from jail at such a hearing. Because of today’s waiver, the 21-year-old Lewistown, Mont., man is to remain jailed.
Cates is accused of traveling across state lines to have sex with the Erie girl and coercing her into sexual conduct that was recorded on video.
The FBI says Cates came to Erie on April 12 to meet the girl, with whom he’d corresponded online. They were caught four days later in Clarksville, Ark., when someone saw them trying to hitch a ride, noticed how young the girl looked and called police.