Nantucket Man Faces Felony Charges for Assaults on 11-Year-Old

A Nantucket man will remain behind bars until his next court date after pleading not guilty to felony charges involving an 11-year-old girl. James F. Russell, 46, entered his plea in Nantucket District Court on Wednesday. The charges stem from alleged sexual assaults that occurred during the summer months.

Legal filings list four counts of aggravated child rape against Russell. Prosecutors also charged him with five counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. Two additional felony counts involve filming a child in a sexual act. All charges are felonies. The court set bail at $20,000. This amount is far below the $750,000 requested by prosecutors. His next court appearance is scheduled for November 30.

Detective Amanda Schwenk of the Nantucket Police Department submitted a police report detailing the timeline. Authorities in Lake Delton, Wisconsin, contacted Nantucket police on October 19. They reported that the victim may have been assaulted on the island between June 11 and July 2. The victim's mother informed Wisconsin officials that her daughter told her about the abuse during their summer visit. The report notes that Russell's daughter was a friend of the victim.

The victim's mother stated that her daughter knew Russell because they lived together in Wisconsin. The families maintained contact after Russell's family moved to Nantucket within the past year. The child later described the alleged assaults in graphic detail to investigators. She disclosed that Russell had also assaulted her earlier in Wisconsin. The victim referred to these incidents as 'sex stuff' and stated the abuse happened on eight different days.

Schwenk wrote that Russell allegedly filmed the abuse using an iPad. The victim told her mother that Russell used a 'special iPad' to take photographs and videos of her while she was naked. According to the filing, Russell sometimes directed the child to use an erotic device. He reportedly told her to say 'I love you daddy' and asked how much she liked the assaults. Some images and videos were taken in Wisconsin, while others were captured on the basement bed in the Nantucket home.

Russell's lawyer declined to comment on the charges. The case has moved to the next phase of legal proceedings with the November 30 hearing date now set in the court calendar.