MONROE — A Knoxville man charged with third-degree sexual abuse in an April 2015 incident involving a 13-year-old Monroe girl had to wait a few more days to withdraw his Alford plea.
A Monday hearing for 20-year-old Alex T. Vander Veer was postponed until 9:30 a.m. Wednesday after documents filed Friday stated the prosecuting attorney would not be available.
An attorney for Vander Veer filed an application in September to withdraw his plea, set aside judgment in an attempt to challenge the victim’s allegations. The motion states Vander Veer’s counsel obtained a sworn statement Sept. 21 from a Mr. Nathan Fagg “detailing a conversation between him and the alleged victim regarding the fabrication of the story leading to the investigation, charges” and the Sept. 14 Alford plea by the defendant.
The document claims the evidence from Fagg was previously undisclosed, and he approached Vander Veer’s family directly following a story about the Alford plea in the Prairie City News.
Judge Terry Rickers issued an order setting the hearing to consider the motion. Court documents state the exhibits attached to Vander Veer’s motions have been sealed.
Vander Veer was originally arrested and charged with third-degree sexual abuse, also a Class C felony, in November 2015, following an investigation by the Monroe Police Department and the Iowa Department of Human Services. Vander Veer’s attorney and county prosecutors struck a deal, allowing him to enter an Alford plea — which allows a defendant to enter a plea of guilty without making an admission of guilt — to lascivious acts with a child, a Class C felony.
The victim told investigators in 2015, she and Vander Veer had engaged in sexual relations. Her guardian told police a medical examination was conducted shortly after the alleged assault, and the Iowa DCI crime lab later found Vander Veer’s DNA on evidence gathered from the victim and from the victim’s clothes the evening of the incident. Vander Veer originally pleaded not guilty in January.
Court records released Sept. 14 assert the defendant fondled or inappropriately touched the then-13-year-old. Vander Veer maintains he did not touch the victim. He was 18 at the time of the incident.
Contact Mike Mendenhall at mmendenhall@myprairiecitynews.com