One child sex abuse case ongoing, other is dismissed

A Corning teen has pleaded not guilty to accusations of committing sexual acts on a 9-year-old boy.

Frankie Lee Cooley, 18, was arrested by Tehama County sheriff's deputies at 9:11 p.m. Sept. 27 at Tehama County Mental Health, the Sheriff's Office reported.

In Tehama County Superior Court on Tuesday, he entered the not guilty plea to a single felony count of continuous sexual abuse on a child under 10 and three felony counts of sodomy or sexual intercourse with a child under 10.

Tehama County District Attorney Gregg Cohen said the reported abuse took place on at least three times between November and September.

The victim's name has not been released, but Cohen did say the reported abuse took place in Corning.

Cooley's bail was lowered on Monday from $4 million to $1 million on request of his public defender Diane Martin-Logan, according to court documents.

Cooley is scheduled to be back in court Oct. 15 for a preliminary hearing conference and Oct. 16 for a preliminary hearing.

Case dismissed

Another child sex abuse case involving a Corning man was dismissed in court on Tuesday.

Gumercindo Arce Hernandez, 58, who was arrested on Aug. 27, was charged with three counts of felony lewd acts upon a child with special allegations of sex crimes with aggregated circumstances, and one felony count of oral copul tion/sexual penetration with a child under 10, according to court records.

Hernandez pleaded not guilty to the charges in Tehama County Superior Court on Sept. 5, and was scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday when the Tehama County District Attorney's office was granted a request to dismiss the case, said Cohen.

"We asked for a dismissal as further work is conducted on the case," Cohen said.

Documents stated there were two reported victims in the case and the abuse reportedly took place between October 2010 and August.

The district attorney could not say whether or not the case will be refiled.