Cape Girardeau man accused of abusing pregnant girlfriend to be arraigned Feb. 22

The case against a 26-year-old Cape Girardeau man who allegedly abused and forced his pregnant girlfriend to have sex will proceed, after Associate Circuit Judge Gary A. Kamp found probable cause at a preliminary hearing Thursday.

Giles Triplett was arrested Jan. 16 and is charged with second-degree domestic assault and sexual assault. He allegedly committed the crimes between Jan. 9 and Jan. 16 at the victim's residence.

The victim, 23, the only witness to testify in court at the hearing, told the judge Triplett choked her on multiple occasions and one of the assaults left a mark on the side of her neck.

"Every time we got into a fight he would push me into a room and push me on the bed," the victim said.

He'd continue to force himself on her, she told the court, and made her unwillingly have sex with him six times.

"I couldn't do anything. I couldn't push him off," she said.

While cross-examining the victim, Ted Liszewski, Triplett's attorney, asked her about phone calls she received at her home from three girls also allegedly dating Triplett. The girls, she said, claimed Triplett was going to leave her and move to Florida.

The victim agreed with Liszewski that she was upset Triplett was dating other women.

In addition, the victim admitted to sending the women angry text messages. Liszewski asked the victim whether the alleged rapes happened before or after she found out about Triplett dating the three other women.

Kamp sustained an objection to the line of questioning.

"A judge can assess the credibility of a witness by their actions at the time they allege a crime occurred," Liszewski said.

After questioning, Kamp set Triplett's arraignment for 9 a.m. Feb. 22 before Circuit Judge William Syler.

Triplett was found guilty of third-degree assault in 2007 and served six months in jail. He was found guilty of the same charge in 2006 and was charged with forcible rape and attempted forcible sodomy.

ehevern@semissourian.com

388-3635

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