John Melvin Karnes, 35, entered a not guilty plea to one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Mower County District Court Friday.

Saturday, November 13, 1999

John Melvin Karnes, 35, entered a not guilty plea to one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Mower County District Court Friday. Karnes was accused of molesting a 5-year-old girl on Aug. 27.

The girl told her mother several days after the alleged event that Karnes had touched her in a sexual manner while she was in bed. Her mother then reported the story to the Austin Police Department. Karnes, who the mother said was a friend of her boyfriend’s, had showed up at their residence appearing to be intoxicated on the night in question. He had been allowed to sleep on the couch.

Karnes has been released on $25,000 bond and a court date has not yet been set. Mower County Attorney Pat Oman said the next step would be scheduling the hearing. However, in a year where the number of cases are much higher than last year – in October there were 600 misdemeanor and traffic cases more than last year and 90 gross misdemeanor and felony cases ahead – Oman said he "wasn’t holding his breath" for a date in 1999. Currently the district courts are scheduling cases for March.