Hearing held for three accused of sexual assault

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- After six hours of tesimony, a preliminary hearing that began Thursday for three men accused of sexual assault won't be completed until March 14, said Bollinger County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen Gray.

The state's final witness, a mental health professional, was unable to attend Thursday's hearing due to illness, Gray said. The witness will testify in March on the capacity of the alleged victim, a 23-year-old woman with mental retardation.

The three men, all members of the Marble Hill Bible Chapel, are part-time preacher Frank Burgess, 43, Sunday school teacher Bruce Johnson, 44, and church song leader Hurley Dixon, 67. They were arrested Dec. 31 and face first-degree felony charges of sexual assault and deviant sexual assault. They are free on bonds of $50,000 each.

The alleged victim was also a church member. She told investigators the men would have sex with her at various places, including at their homes and at the church.