HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) -- Jonathan Westinghouse will head straight to trial in June after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday morning.
The 22-year-old, who was clad in a tan jail suit, appeared in court with with several people believed to be family members.
Both prosecutors and the defense opted to bypass a grand jury and head straight to trial where Westinghouse will face charges for rape and sodomy with a victim under the age of 13.
These charges stem from what police said was an inappropriate relationship between Westinghouse and a juvenile acquaintance, who may have been a family friend.
Police sources told CBS 6 that victim was 10 years old when of the alleged act took place.
CBS 6 legal analyst Todd Stone said there could be difficulty in a case like this when a young person is involved.
"All witnesses make inconsistent statements of times, especially a child witness," Stone said. "So if you put her on more than once, then it's likely to give the defense some ammunition at trial. You also don't want to run her through this, because it's emotionally torturous for a child to have to get up there and testify."
Both the defense attorney and those believed to be Westinghouse's family members did not want to speak with reporters after the procedural hearing.
Westinghouse is scheduled to appear in court on June 10.
