A Cumberland County teenager who was accused of a sex crime before his 18th birthday finally had a criminal case against him settled in Criminal Court last week.

Competency issues, a motion to have the teen tried as an adult and other legal wrangling all led to resolving the case.

Anthony Joseph Corson, 18, whose last known address was listed as Village Way, was in July 2009 petitioned into Juvenile Court on a felony charge of rape of a child. The victim was a girl under the age of six.

"It is a very difficult case," Assistant District Attorney Allison Watson said this week. Although found competent to stand trial as a juvenile, lingering issues placed in doubt the ability of the defendant to independently grasp and understand all the legal ramifications facing him.

If tried and convicted Corson was facing a minimum of 30 years in prison on the original rape charge and those associated with the case have questioned, based on his level of mental capacity, whether this would be in the best interest of all involved.

Corson, who only had one brush with the law — behavior issues — prior to the felony charge, underwent a series of evaluations and counseling before the District Attorney's Office finally petitioned to have Corson certified as an adult.

Once that happened, the case against him was presented to the grand jury and in September 2009 Corson was indicted on a charge of attempted aggravated sexual battery.

Last Friday Corson, who was facing three to 15 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000, pleaded guilty to the indictment and received a six-year suspended sentence, to be probated at 15 years.

Corson for the next 15 years must successfully meet all conditions of probation and laws governing convicted sex offenders, including registering on the state's sex offender registry.

"If the case had been allowed to stay in Juvenile Court, there is no provision requiring him to register for life on the state's sex offender registry," Watson explained. "As a juvenile, he would only be incarcerated for two years and then released with no adult record."

By moving the case to Criminal Court, the lifetime registering on the sex offender list is state mandated.

Watson said family members are making arrangements for the adult to move into a supervised group home setting.

"It is just a very sad situation and a difficult one to resolve," Watson said.

In other cases on the docket, the following took place.

Guilty pleas

•Natasha Helene Bowman, 21, forgery and passing a forged instrument, pleaded guilty to attempt to pass a forged instrument and received an 11-month and 29-day suspended sentence to be served on probation. Second count was dropped.

•Pamela Joe Kelley, 39, driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and no proof of insurance, pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment and received an 11-month and 29-day suspended sentence to be served on probation; two days in jail; fined $360 with court costs waived; and to pay $5,345.53 restitution to the victim. Remaining charges were dropped.

Diversions

•Donald I. Miyahara, sexual exploitation of a minor, pre-trial diversion granted; placed on probation for two years.

•Tammy Lafaye Boyd, 27, felony reckless endangerment, judicial diversion granted; pleaded guilty to the charge and received a 14-month prison sentence, set aside for a probationary period.

•Jeremy Wayne Dodson, burglary, theft more than $1,000 and conspiracy, pre-trial diversion termination notice filed; Carolyn Knight appointed to represent the defendant; hearing set for Feb. 12.

•Lawrence Elwood Jordan, burglary, theft more than $1,000 and conspiracy, pre-trial diversion terminated; allowed to go to Teen Challenge with a follow-up reporting date set for May 7.

Set for trial

•Gary Thomas Reed, initiation of the process to manufacture methamphetamine and felony failure to appear, motion hearing set for Feb. 12; set for trial March 2.

•Michael J. Lynch, aggravated robbery and theft more than $1,000, motion hearing set for March 8; trial set for March 12.

•George Mack Stepp, theft more than $1,000, set for trial March 31.

Arraignment

The following defendants made their first appearances in Criminal Court after having been indicted by the grand jury.

•Jerri Lea Brown, promotion of the manufacture of methamphetamine, Earl Patton appointed to represent the defendant; continued to May 77.

•Nicholas Wade Burchfield, possession of a firearm while in commission of a felony and possession of a schedule IV drug, Public Defender's Office appointed to represent the defendant; continued to May 7.

•Amber Marie Burgess, four counts of prescription fraud and criminal impersonation, Earl Patton appointed to represent the defendant; continued to May 7.

•James Daniel Cumby, criminal simulation, Public Defender's Office appointed to represent the defendant; continued to May 7.

•Wendell Jasper Dunn, theft more than $10,000, Public Defender's Office appointed to represent the defendant; continued to May 7.

•Tylor Dewayne Flowers, two counts of aggravated burglary and theft more than $1,000, continued to May 7.

•Thomas M. Garner, attempt to initiate the process to manufacture methamphetamine, Kevin Poor appointed to represent the defendant; continued to May 7.

•Justin Lee Hale, promotion of the manufacture of methamphetamine, Carolyn Knight appointed to represent the defendant; continued to May 7.

•Jeffery Alan Kline, possession of a firearm while in commission of a felony, summons issued for March 15.

•Nicole Marie Maclellan, two counts of criminal simulation, Public Defender's Office appointed to represent the defendant; continued to May 7.

•Tiffany Yvonne Marshall, two counts of fraudulent use of a credit card, state to drop the charges.

•Kenneth Doyle Phillips, theft, Public Defender's Office appointed to represent the defendant; cash bond set at $75,000; continued to May 7.

•James Jeremiah Pugh, simple possession of methamphetamine, continued to Jan. 27.

•Richard Miles Seiber Jr., promotion of the manufacture of methamphetamine, two counts of simple possession of meth, possession of drug paraphernalia and evading arrest.

•Angela Diane Smith, possession of marijuana for resale and two counts of worthless check less than $500, Public Defender's Office appointed to represent the defendant; continued to May 7.

•Danny Ray Smith, three counts of rape of a child, continued to Feb. 11 at which time defendant is to return to court with an attorney.

•Edward Phillip Sprout, two counts of burglary, two counts of theft less than $500, vandalism more than $1,000 and driving on a revoked license, Public Defender's Office appointed to represent the defendant; continued to March 1.

•Amy Teleah Vaughn, violation of the sex offender registry law, Douglas Fields appointed to represent the defendant; continued to Feb. 12.

•Nicholas Neil Brady, child abuse, continued to March 8 at which time defendant is to return to court with an attorney.

•Joshua Paul Lewis, two counts of rape of a child and attempted rape of a child, Public Defender's Office appointed to represent the defendant; continued to May 7.

•Lawrence Curtis Bible Jr., child abuse, Public Defender's Office appointed to represent the defendant; continued to May 7.

•David Anthony Morris, rape, continued to March 9 at which time defendant is to return to court with an attorney.

•Vickie E. Padgett, initiation of the process to manufacture methamphetamine, continued to March 8 at which time defendant is to return to court with an attorney.

Motions and hearings

•Nicholas Neil Brady, child abuse, motion to expunge record set for March 8.

•Joshua Willey Hays, child abuse of a victim under the age of six, continued to Feb. 12.

•Thomas Raye Nale, motion to waive fines and court costs in fifth offense drunk driving, refusing to take an intoximeter test and third offense driving on a revoked license charges, Public Defender's Office appointed to represent the defendant; hearing continued.

•Daryl Wayne Roberts, second offense driving on a revoked license, motion to waive fine and court costs denied.

•Vivian June Rodriguez, four counts each of forgery and passing a forged instrument, ordered picked up for missing reporting date and to serve sentence.

•Lisa Ann Brown, two counts of first-degree murder, motion hearing set for March 8.

•Nicholas John Bowder, aggravated sexual battery on a minor, Marshal Bonding Co. allowed to drop off the bond, requiring that a new bond be made.

Continued as boundovers

The following cases are pending before the grand jury and are still awaiting a decision, unless otherwise noted.

•Timothy Richard Lewis, possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana for sale or delivery and possession of a firearm, continued to March 15.

•Mark David Sanders, violation of the sex offender registry, continued to March 15.

•Paula Brenda Selby, theft of property and non-emergency 911 calls, dropped by the District Attorney's Office.

•Tylor Dewayne Flowers, theft of merchandise, continued to May 7.

Return with attorney

•Jason Paul Baker, carjacking, aggravated assault with a weapon and unlawful carrying of a weapon, Kevin Poore appointed to represent the defendant; continued to May 7.

Deadline docket

•Matthew Raymond Alcorn, aggravated burglary, attempted theft more than $500 and vandalism, to be dropped by the District Attorney's Office.

•Jeremy Ernest Clark, aggravated burglary. attempted theft more than $500 and vandalism more than $500, continued to Feb. 12.

•Gary Thomas Reed, promotion of the manufacture of methamphetamine and theft more than $10,000, continued to Feb. 12.

•Paula Brenda Selby, five counts of theft more than $10,000 and two counts of theft of $10,000, continued to May 7.