An Augusta man accused of raping a severely disabled woman lost a third bid for bond Wednesday, March 23.
Elbert Butler, 60, has been held without bond since his arrest in May 2019. He has pleaded not guilty in Richmond County Superior Court to charges of rape and exploitation and intimidation of a disabled adult.
Wednesday at the conclusion of Butler’s third bond hearing, Judge Jesse Stone denied bond, finding that Butler could pose a flight risk.
Defense attorney Greg Gelpi stressed to the judge that unlike the judges who declined to grant bond in the past, now Stone had the option of granting bond and requiring pretrial supervision and electronic monitoring.
Butler is a native and lifelong resident of Augusta. He has a place to live, with a woman who was physically unable to attend court Wednesday, and he could possibly return to work as a concrete finisher, Gelpi said.
On May 21, 2019, the mother of a woman with the intellectual age estimated at 2 years old, found Butler on her daughter having sex with her on her walker, said Assistant District Attorney Larry Smith. She told sheriff officers she hit Butler to get him off her daughter and Butler did stop and apologized before leaving the house. Butler had been allowed to stay with the victim’s family off and on, Smith said.
Butler has no prior felony conviction.
Stone denied bond but indicated he expected the case to start moving toward trial.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
