One woman blocked out many memories of being sexually molested starting in kindergarten; another woman wasn’t taken seriously in 1998 because of her age at the time.
Over the past year, both told Sublette County detectives of allegations that Robert W. McCutchan, of Pinedale, had molested them sometimes daily, took indecent liberties and exposed them to sexual acts when they were very young, records show.
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SUBLETTE COUNTY – One woman blocked out many memories of being sexually molested starting in kindergarten; another woman wasn’t taken seriously in 1998 because of her age at the time.
Over the past year, both told Sublette County detectives of allegations that Robert W. McCutchan, of Pinedale, had molested them sometimes daily, took indecent liberties and exposed them to sexual acts when they were very young, records show.
The county’s investigation was reviewed and charges filed by special prosecutor Johnson County Attorney Tucker J. Ruby at Sublette County Attorney Clayton Melinkovich’s request.
The case was sealed in Circuit Court because of the sexual allegations and the defendant’s name released after McCutchan waived a preliminary hearing and was bound over to 9th District Court on July 19. His bond was set at $10,000 cash or surety.
McCutchan is charged with felony second-degree sexual assault, allegedly as an adult performing oral sex on a victim under 12 from Jan. 1, 1998, through Dec. 1, 2001.
He is also charged with felony third-degree sexual assault to a victim under 14 in the same time period, for allegedly immoral contact with the victim’s intimate parts.
McCutchan faces a third felony charge of immoral or indecent acts, alleging that from 1994 to 1996, he had sexual contact with a child’s intimate parts and had the child perform fellatio, according to court documents.
As part of the investigation, detective Travis Lanning looked back at a 1999 case that named McCutchan in 1994; former Judge John Crow felt there wasn’t sufficient probable cause and dismissed it.
Lanning listened to a 1998 cassette interview and contacted the woman, who said as a Sunday school teacher, McCutchan “would have different girls sit on his lap” and often took her to the park where he would take his pants down and ask her to touch or kiss his penis, she said.
Both girls alleged dozens of such sexual encounters with McCutchan from about 8 to 12 years old.
Maximum penalties for the three charges are a total of 45 years in jail and $21,000 fines.
