South Union couple facing trial
A South Union Township couple, who are serving a jail sentence in Fayette County for abusing the wife’s daughter, will face trial on charges that they sexually assaulted a 5-year-old boy in 2000. The boy is now 7. April Dawn Baxley-Humbert, 32, and James Lester Humbert, 41, of Court Street, Bierer Wood Acres, were ordered held for court by District Justice Rick Vernon at a preliminary hearing Thursday.
State police charged April Humbert with indecent assault and corruption of minors and James Humbert with corruption of minors. Vernon remanded both to the Fayette County Prison in lieu of $25,000 percentage bonds.
The Humberts are serving sentences of six to 23 months in prison for their October, 2001, conviction on charges of endangering the welfare of children, and consecutive six-month sentences for contempt of court for failing to appear at their sentencing hearing.
In that case, state police charged the Humberts with two counts of endangering the welfare of children, simple assault and harassment in October, 2000, after a school nurse found bruises on April’s daughter, Betty Jo White, who is now 10 years old.
The couple were sentenced to serve two consecutive one-year terms of probation for the simple assault and harassment charge convictions.
After they were convicted, they failed to appear in court on their scheduled sentencing date and were later caught in Ohio.
At Thursday’s hearing, the boy testified that James Humbert brought a mattress from a bedroom to the living room in the Humberts’ apartment.
Under questioning by assistant district attorney Jack Heneks Jr., the boy said that April Humbert told him that she wanted to have sex with him, took off her clothes and undressed him.
The boy then described some sexual contact.
Attorney Jeff Whiteko represented the Humberts.