Sex offender denies guilt in kidnapping
LITTLE VALLEY — A convicted sex offender recently indicted on charges of kidnapping pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Cattaraugus County Court and was jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail.
William Phillips, 35, of Portville- Olean Road, entered his plea before Cattaraugus County Court Judge Larry M. Himelein.
Phillips was indicted last week by a grand jury on charges of second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, third-degree mischief, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and second-degree menacing.
On Sept. 15, he allegedly accosted a woman outside a convenience store in Portville.
Phillips was arrested and remanded to the county jail shortly after the incident.
However, a motion was filed by the public defender’s office, representing Phillips, after District Attorney Edward M. Sharkey failed to prosecute Phillips within 45 days; consequently, Phillips was released from jail two weeks ago.
Sharkey said after the arraignment Tuesday that he had asked for $1 million bail to keep Phillips in jail.
“We got what we got,” he said after bail was set at $100,000. Phillips is scheduled to return to County Court on Jan. 15.
Sharkey said Phillips is a convicted sex offender who served 15 years in a Georgia prison for convictions of rape and aggravated sodomy of a 13- year old girl.
Released from prison several years ago, Phillips returned to Portville to be with his mother and other family members.
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