The Christian County Grand Jury returned indictments Friday for child sexual abuse, child abandonment, and theft.
The grand jury returned a superseding indictment for 36-year old Mario Devon Fredrick of Hopkinsville on a charge of first-degree sexual abuse – victim under 12 years old, which replaces his previous indictment for indecent exposure. According to the indictment, on October 13, 2018, Fredrick allegedly performed a lewd sexual act in front of a six-year old child. In December, Fredrick was indicted for his fourth or greater offense of first-degree indecent exposure after Oak Grove Police reported he exposed himself in front of the Dollar General store in the 8400 block of Pembroke-Oak Grove Road. Fredrick was arrested and police said his criminal history showed he had three or more previous convictions for the same offense.
The grand jury also indicted two women in separate incidents for an abandonment of a minor.
The arrest warrant states from September 2018 through February of this year 35-year old Ashley Josephine Hart of Port Charlotte, Florida allegedly allowed her 15-year old son to leave South Carolina with Sunshine and Johnny Austin to move to Hopkinsville without giving them any power of attorney for medical treatment or to enroll him in school, and no health insurance information. The County Attorney’s Office says the child has not been attending school for at least the past six months. When the Austins were arrested, they reportedly did not tell anyone they had children in their care and the children were left to care for themselves. When the mother of the child was contacted by the Department of Community Based Services regarding her son being left unattended and that she needed to come to get him, she allegedly replied, “do you think I am made of money?” The officer then requested a warrant for abandonment of a minor.
21-year old Emily Kathryn Dearinger of Hopkinsville was also indicted for abandonment of a child. The charge stems from February 13, 2019, when she was arrested by Hopkinsville Police at the intersection of West 1st and North O’Neal streets and told police she had left her 9-month old child at home alone. Police went to the residence and found the infant boy alone in a crib with a urine soaked diaper and blankets, which officers said indicted the baby had been unattended for a significant amount of time.
In addition, the grand jury indicted 33-year old Catelin Christian Anderson for theft by unlawful taking over $10,000. Over the course of a four month period, from October 2018 through January 2019, police reported Anderson allegedly took more than $18,000 by doing false refunds while she was the assistant manager of Max’s convenience store at the intersection of Canton Pike and Country Club. The arrest warrant says there is video of the incidents and paperwork showing each transcation.
