Contractor Denies Molestation Charges
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A Ventura contractor pleaded not guilty Thursday to 11 counts of child molestation that were leveled by a young man accusing him of sexual assaults that allegedly took place during a five-year period in the 1980s.
Douglas Muelder denied charges of oral copulation, sodomy and other sexual assaults that were alleged recently by an unidentified Ventura man, who is now 25.
Two other young men have come forward to make similar allegations that will not lead to criminal charges, but their testimony will be used as corroborating evidence to bolster the case against Muelder, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Jacqueline D. Wise.
Although the six-year statute of limitations has run out on the charges, a recent state law allows for exceptions if the alleged molestation is deemed significant and there is enough evidence to corroborate the charges.
The assaults began in 1984 when the boy was 13 years old and continued until he was 18, Wise said.
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