By KEVIN YOUNG
GLASGOW — Stephen Barry Wooten was arraigned in Barren County Circuit Court on Monday on more charges related to a June 12 arrest by the Barren County Sheriff’s Office.
Wooten, 39, of 264 Bishop Road, Glasgow, faces a total of 74 counts, including 36 counts of first-degree sodomy, one count of first-degree rape and 37 counts of other sex-related charges all involving a single alleged female victim under the age of 12.
Wooten and his public defender Greg Berry appeared in front of Circuit Judge Phil Patton on Monday as Patton read Wooten his rights and confirmed that Wooten was aware of the charges.
The charges were listed in two separate cases, but Hardin County Commonwealth’s Attorney Chris Shaw, the special prosecutor on the case, asked to have the cases consolidated and Patton agreed. Karen Davis, commonwealth’s attorney for Barren County, had to recuse herself from the case because Wooten is a distant relative.
As earlier reported by the Daily Times, Barren County Sheriff’s Detective Ann Phelps testified in June that Wooten allegedly admitted to multiple charges of sexual abuse with a child. She also stated Wooten admitted to having oral sex with the victim over a period of one and a half years averaging twice a month and also having sexual intercourse with the child.
Shaw said that the results of lab tests have returned, and he gave copies of the discovery to Berry for his review.
The defense made a motion to have time to review the discovery before setting a trial date, so Patton set another pretrial conference in the case for Dec. 7 at 10 a.m. Patton said a trial date would likely be set during the next pretrial conference.
Wooten remains lodged in the Barren County Correction Center on a total of $150,000 cash bond.
