Man faces 39 counts of child sex abuserelated charges
Suspect is due back in court on may 9
James David Schultz II, 44, is in custody in the Yuma County Detention Center over accusations that he sexually abused a child onand-off between the ages of about 3 and 16. Schultz also faced sexual exploitation of a minor charges stemming from his alleged online activity.
A 17-page indictment filed on
Dec. 28,
2023, outlines the charges against
Schultz.
The first six counts are centered on allegations from 2003 “through on or about the year of 2005.” The charges against Schultz are as follows:
• Molestation of a child
• Public sexual indecency to a minor
• Aggravated assault
• Sexual conduct with a minor
• Sexual assault of a minor
• Aggravated assault Counts 7 through 11 relate to allegations from between 2006–2009. The charges include sexual conduct with a minor, molestation of a child, and furnishing harmful items to a minor.
Alleged to have taken place from 2008 to 2011, counts 12 to 20 involve accusations of sexual abuse, aggravated assault, sexual conduct with a minor, and sexual assault of a minor.
Counts 21 and 22 stem from 2016 and focus on sexual conduct with a minor and sexual assault of a minor accusations.
As for counts 23 to 39, they are centered on allegations that – between 2021 and 2023 – Schultz was “knowingly distributing, transporting, exhibiting, receiving, selling, purchasing, electronically transmitting, possessing or exchanging any visual depiction in which minors are engaged in exploitative exhibition or other sexual conduct.”
In response to these accusations, Schultz pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Jan. 8. Additionally, on Jan. 20, he moved to have counts 3, 6, 11, 13, and 20 (charges relating to allegations of aggravated assault and furnishing harmful items to a minor) dismissed “due to the expiration of the statutory time in which to indict on the charges.”
However, the state responded on Feb. 2 and called for the court to deny the motion, as “the statute of limitations period begins when the crimes are reported.” Furthermore, the state requested “sanctions against [Deputy Public Defender Jose Padilla] personally for filing a frivolous motion.”
Following a case management conference on Feb. 8, Schultz’s final management conference was held on March 21. The matter will be continued at his next hearing on May 9 at 8:30 a.m.
Schultz is currently in custody on $50,000 bond.