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closeSaturday, Oct. 25, 2008
Federal trial delayed for Morgan Jones
By Kristin M. Kraemer, Herald staff writer
An Alabama man agreed Friday to delay his federal trial so his attorney can further investigate allegations he drove a Boise teen across state lines to the Tri-Cities to have sex with her.
Morgan Jones, when questioned by the judge, agreed that it's in his "best interest" to postpone the trial to Feb. 9 to give his lawyer, Jim Egan, more time to prepare their case.
The 27-year-old Birmingham man appeared in Richland before U.S. District Court Judge Ed Shea.
Jones is charged with transportation with intent to engage in criminal activity.
His trial had been scheduled in December, a week before Christmas.
Stephanie A. Van Marter, an assistant U.S. attorney, said the girl's parents are eager to get the case behind them because it's disruptive to the girl.
The girl, now in counseling, has professed to loving Jones and said she doesn't want any harm to come to him.
Marter said she explained to the parents the defense's role in a criminal case and why it may take time to see any progress.
Jones first met the 14-year-old through the interactive online game "World of Warcraft." Eventually, their two online personalities wed in the game.
A longtime pharmacy technician, Jones drove cross country shortly after being fired for problems with a supervisor.
He picked the girl up from her home May 28 and traveled with her through Oregon to Washington, according to court documents. Meanwhile, she was reported as a missing runaway.
The two were found five days later camping at Palouse Falls State Park in eastern Franklin County. Before moving to the remote campground, they reportedly stayed at a west Kennewick hotel for one night.
Both the girl and Jones admitted in separate interviews with investigators to having sex on several occasions between May 29 and June 2, said police and prosecutors.
And because the two have corroborated the details of each other's statement, Shea said there is no need for the defense to interview her. The alleged crime is that Jones transported a minor for sexual activity and that was addressed in the earlier videotaped interviews, Shea said.
Egan has sought the address and telephone number of the girl. Her parents have told prosecutors they don't want any further interviews of her.
Also Friday, Egan talked about his evidence requests to prosecutors. He said he either has received or will get discs containing all in-game chat logs between Jones and the girl in April and May and all e-mail exchanges from MSN and Google accounts. Some of the data was retrieved from the computers of Jones and the girl.
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