PIERRE, (KCCR) — A Pierre man facing rape and sexual assault charges in Hughes County has pleaded not guilty to those charges. An arraignment was held Tuesday afternoon for 33 year-old Jarrett High Bear. High Bear was indicted by a Hughes County Grand Jury two weeks ago on 11 charges involving two victims under 13 years old. High Bear is facing five counts of First Degree Rape; two counts of Fourth Degree Rape and three counts of Sexual Contract with a Child Under 16 Years Old. High Bear’s attorney David Siebrasse requested a bond reduction from 25-thousand to 25-hundred dollars. Assistant Attorney General Jessica LaMie asked Sixth Circuit Judge Christina Klinger to keep the original bond in place given the fact that original bond was before additional charges were added to an indictment. Klinger says the bond was more than appropriate given the nature of the charges and denied the bond reduction. First Degree Rape carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and max sentence of life in prison. Fourth Degree Rape has a maximum sentence of 15 years. The sexual contact charge has a mandatory minimum of 10 years with a max sentence of 15. High Bear is accused of assaulting the victims between January of 2018 and March of this year. High Bear is facing 95 years in prison on the mandatory minimums alone.
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