Bail remains at $155,000 for a former sports official for local schools after a recent hearing at Lake County Superior Court in Lakeport.
Bradley Kenneth Pendleton, 33, remains in custody for alleged sexual misconduct with at least one underage girl. Pendleton’s bail is set at $155,000, but the court heard a request from the prosecution that the amount be increased. A report from the Lake County Probation Department recommends bond remain as set.
He faces charges of rape by force, violence, duress, menace or fear, two counts of lewd act with the defendant being 10 years older than the child and two counts of with the victim being under 18 years.
The charges came after an incident in May of 2017 when detectives from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit began investigating allegations related to Pendleton.
The sexual misconduct was said to have occurred between 2010 and 2017.
During the investigation, it was found that Pendleton was meeting with girls while acting as a sports official at local middle and high school basketball games.
On February 1 the defendant voluntarily turned himself into the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
While the court denied the request, it ruled the prosecution can again file a motion to increase bail if desired.
A Plea Entry Hearing has been set for March 20 at 8:15 a.m. in Department 4.
Meiler extradited
The Lake County Superior Court recently confirmed that Christian Ian Michael Meiler, 23, of Clearlake Oaks was extradited to the State of Pennsylvania.
On the motion of the People, the defendant’s fugitive from justice complaint has been ordered dismissed.
In January the Court dismissed a murder charge against Meiler, who was charged for allegedly shooting and killing a Clearlake Oaks man last September. The murder charge was dropped for insufficient evidence.
While Meiler was no longer in custody for murder, he remained behind bars. That’s because he was arrested and booked once again last December for allegedly having a warrant out of the state of Pennsylvania, after initially bailing out.
No contest plea in child porn case
Lee Daniel Buckmaster, 40 of Middletown, pled no contest to charges of being in possession of obscene material of a minor.
Buckmaster is charged with possessing obscene material of a minor and possessing over 600 indecent images of minors.
The matter has now been referred to the Lake County Probation Department for the preparation of a sentencing report and recommendation.
Sentencing has been set for April 9 at 1:30 p.m. in Department 2.
