Suspect in rape, battery cases seeks lower bond

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A judge revoked a Brown County man’s bond in a domestic battery case after he was charged with raping the same woman less than six months later.

Rickey D. Haines, 38, appeared in person in Brown Circuit Court Jan. 2.

The prosecution was asking for his bond to be revoked on the battery charge and the defense was asking for his bond to be reduced on the rape charge.

He has been in jail since being arrested Dec. 11 on a warrant for rape, a Level 1 felony.

Judge Judith A. Stewart agreed to revoke his bond in the domestic battery case, which means he will stay in jail at least until his March 9 trial on that charge.

Normally, a misdemeanor, the domestic battery charge was increased to a Level 6 felony since Haines knew a child was present, according to court records.

Brown County Sgt. Mike Moore reported in a probable cause affidavit that on June 17, a woman reported Haines slapped her in the face, causing her to fall to the floor. She also said Haines shot his gun at her and a cellphone twice. A neighbor reported hearing four gunshots and the two arguing.

The woman had a protective order against Haines at the time.

He was charged in June with domestic battery, criminal recklessness, invasion of privacy, unlawful possession of a firearm by a domestic batterer and criminal mischief.

He was released from jail after posting bond June 18.

Conditions of his bail included having no contact with the victim and not possessing any firearms.

Less than six months later, Haines was charged with rape, criminal confinement, domestic battery and strangulation after the same woman reported that he attacked her repeatedly at his home Dec. 8 in the presence of two children.

Brown County Chief Deputy Mike Morris testified in court that the woman said Haines attempted to force her head into a bathtub full of water and sexually assaulted her in the bathroom.

She said Haines was upset that she was talking to another man.

Haines followed the victim outside, yelling at her to unlock her phone, she said. He threw a bicycle at her and ripped a pole from the railing of the porch and hit her repeatedly with it, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The children reported seeing this, hearing banging on the house and seeing the woman in a choke hold.

Back inside, Haines loaded a gun and threatened her with it, Morris said.

The woman said Haines sexually assaulted her that night and prevented her from leaving. She said he used her cellphone to record the assaults and threatened to post the videos on social media for the man she was talking to to see, according to the affidavit.

The next morning, Haines deleted the videos before giving the phone back to her and going to work, the report said.

His bond on the rape case was set at $100,000. He would have to pay 10 percent, or $10,000, to get out of jail.

In his initial court appearance, Haines asked about reducing it so he could keep his job.

A hearing on the bond reduction can be reset if requested by public defender Courtney Jones, who was appointed to represent Haines in that case.

A conviction on Level 1 felony rape carries a 20- to 40-year jail sentence.

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