July 6, 2012 at 5:52 p.m.
Another charge for Jump
Prosecutor says man threatened county judge
Another charge for Jump
Abel Jump, 22, a private first class with the Wisconsin Army National Guard, was bound over for trial Thursday in Oneida County Circuit Court on the child-enticement charge.
He will be arraigned Monday. At the same time, he will make an initial appearance on a new felony charge - battery or threat to judge - authorized Thursday by the Oneida County District Attorney's office.
"My understanding is (the charge is) pertinent to the judge who keeps him in custody," Oneida County Assistant District Attorney Scott Moller said of remarks Jump allegedly made in a recorded phone call from jail with his girlfriend.
According to the criminal complaint, Jump talked July 1 about a bond hearing that occurred Tuesday. Jump said he believed his bond would be increased, and if so, the judge would be the first person he would go after once he got out of jail.
Judge Patrick O'Melia dismissed Tuesday a defense motion to reduce the $1,500 cash bond to a signature bond of a lesser amount. He left the $1,500 bond intact.
The new charge against Jump carries a maximum sentence of six years in prison.
Thursday, O'Melia decided in a preliminary hearing that enough evidence exists against Jump to warrant a trial on the child-enticement charge.
O'Melia heard testimony from Det. Sgt. Shannon Murray of the Oneida County Sheriff's Department and examined print-outs of a Facebook conversation between Jump and a 16-year-old girl.
"The time-frames are very telling here," O'Melia said, referring to the consistent one-minute or less intervals between messages in the Facebook conversation.
The charge is a class D felony with a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
According to a criminal complaint, in a June 15 Facebook conversation with a 16-year-old girl, Jump allegedly tried to set up a meeting to have sex. Questioned by Murray, Jump admitted to participating in the Facebook conversation, but denied being involved past the point where the conversation became sexual in nature.
A one-minute interval separates the last message Jump says he sent and the next message - more explicit in nature - that he says he didn't send. O'Melia said it's unlikely that someone would have gained access to Jump's Facebook account in such a short period of time, and then continued the conversation where it left off.
"I think it's reasonable to believe he didn't just stop and go to work and somebody within one minute was able to hack his computer or hack into his site or took his phone, and somehow was able to jump right back into the conversation where it left off," O'Melia said. "I think that's a stretch."
Jump was participating in National Guard training at Camp Ripley in Minnesota at the time of the Facebook conversation. Murray testified that Jump told her he used his cell phone to send the Facebook messages.
Jump didn't identify anyone who could have sent the messages, Murray said. He did say that his phone was in a charger by his bunk, which would have made it easily accessible.
Jump's attorney, Mary Hogan, argued that it remains unclear where the more-explicit Facebook messages originated - a computer or mobile device.
"The concerns the defense has are mainly identification," Hogan said. "Whether or not it can be shown that Mr. Jump is actually the person sending these messages and whether or not he has the intent to do anything I think is very questionable, although I'm aware of the low standard that is required by the state at this time."
Jump also faces one misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed weapon, a felony count of possession of a short-barreled shotgun or rifle and a misdemeanor count of possession of a switchblade knife. Those charges stem from an incident that occurred at about 5:50 a.m. Dec. 27, when a Minocqua gas station clerk called police after noticing Jump wearing a gun on each hip.
He also faces disorderly conduct and bail-jumping charges in Lincoln County.
He is due in court Monday on the Oneida County weapons charges.
Kyle Rogers may be reached at [email protected].
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