Trish Mehaffey, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
The trial for one of the men accused of sexually assaulting a resident at a care facility last summer has been reset to March 6 in Jones County District Court.
Timothy Stromberg, 50, of Clinton, charged with four counts of second-degree sexual abuse, is accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a 21-year-old Fairview Care Facility resident in June.
Two other men, Allen Franks, 19, of Cedar Rapids, and Bruce Brecht, 20, of Marengo, also were charged in the crime. Franks was charged with three counts of second-degree sexual abuse, but on Tuesday the proceedings were suspended indefinitely by a judge and mental health treatment was ordered. Brecht, who acted as the lookout for the other men, pleaded guilty in November to assault causing bodily injury. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail.
According to a criminal complaint, the woman feared saying “no” to the men. The woman told police she listened to them because they had abused her in the past and she was afraid that if she didn’t do what they asked they would continue to beat and harm her.
All three of the men had been court-ordered to the care facility, and Franks and Stromberg were in court-approved guardianship arrangements due to mental issues, according to court records.
