Dexter teen pleads not guilty to list of sex charges

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Dexter teen facing numerous sex-related felonies pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning in a Stoddard County courtroom.

Zachariah A. Hedrick, 17, of the 16100 block of Country Lane, appeared before Judge Stephen Sharp on Wednesday morning for his arraignment, but a motion filed two weeks ago for a change of venue was not taken up.

The motion was filed by Hedrick's new attorney, Andrew Deming Hale, who is a member of the Rosenblum firm in St. Louis that defended Owen Welty earlier this year.

Sharp set the case for trial on July 15.

Hedrick has been charged with forcible sodomy and felonious restraint, attempted forcible rape;attempted sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion, felonious restraint, attempted statutory rape in the first degree;attempted sexual intercourse with a person less than 14 years old, child molestation in the first degree, two counts of sexual misconduct or attempt involving a child under 15-first offense, sexual abuse, statutory rape in the first degree, statutory sodomy in the first degree, child molestation in the first degree, sexual misconduct involving a child, sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of promoting child pornography in the second degree.

Charges stem from incidents that allegedly took place in October 2008 and February 2006. Charges also came from 2007-2008, while he was still a juvenile, when Hedrick was allegedly involved in regular sexual activities with a girl who was then 13.