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Former Orpheum Manager Pleads Not Guilty
The former head of Galesburg's Orpheum Theatre has pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of having a sexual encounter with a teenaged boy on the theatre's stage last year.

25-year old Josh Damewood appeared in Knox County Circuit Court Thursday for an arraignment hearing, where he entered the plea through Public Defender Karl Johnson to two-counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse. Johnson also entered a request for a trial by jury.

Damewood turned himself in to authorities in late-December, a few weeks after they began investigating allegations that he performed sexual acts on a then-16-year old boy last October, after the boy is believed to have approached Damewood asking about a part in an upcoming Orpheum production.

Damewood allegedly told the boy if he told him about the part, he'd owe him.

Damewood originally denied the accusations according to police reports, then later admitted to them, claiming, though, that the sex was consensual.

Damewood will be back in court in early May for a pre-trial hearing, with a trial starting as early as later that month.


(Josh Damewood)
03 15 13 by Newsroom
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