Bond posted for former Ocala pastor charged with sex crimes

Here's a look at some cases that were addressed Jan. 29-Feb. 1 the Marion County Judicial Center in Ocala:

State v. Redding

Hearing: Requesting bail for Derrell Dernell Redding. The hearing was held on Jan. 29.

Lawyers: Michelle Rachel Yard for the defense and Assistant State Attorney Katrina Self for the prosecution.

Charges: Five counts of sexual battery and three counts of lewd lascivious molestation of a child.

Judge: Circuit Judge Lisa Herndon.

When was Redding arrested? Sheriff's detectives arrested Redding in September and accused him of molesting a girl. At the time of his arrest, Redding, 54, of Ocala, was a pastor at Progressive Union Missionary Baptist Church. Redding, who has been locked up at the county jail since his arrest, appeared at the Marion County Judicial Center with shackles.

Lawyers arguments: Yard told the court that the victim has a history of manipulation, disruptive behavior and lying. She said the state has no physical evidence against Redding.

The lawyer said Redding has significant ties to the community, has no prior criminal record, takes multiple medications, and should be entitled to reasonable bail. She said since the incident, Redding has resigned his position from the church.

Self said she's concerned with Redding having access to, and being in the presence of, children. She said he should have no contact with children, and bail should be denied because, if convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison. The prosecutor said there's corroborating evidence in the case.

Support for Redding: Several people, including Redding's wife and a pastor, spoke on his behalf. They referred to him as a kind, humble, loving, respectable, honorable and good family man who loves everyone, including the reported victim.

Those who talked about Redding said he and the victim seemed happy whenever they were seen in public and he always spoke glowingly about the victim and her sister. The Star-Banner is not revealing the name, or relationship between Redding and the victim to protect the child's identity.

Judge's ruling: The judge set bail at $190,000. If released on bond, Redding must adhere to special conditions: He must wear a GPS monitoring device, follow a curfew, have no contact with the victim, her sister, and any children younger than 18, and can have no children in the home. He cannot leave Marion County; and though he can visit his lawyer's office once a month, he must notify someone of his trips.

Where's Redding now? Jail records show his bail was posted on Jan. 30. His next court date is in March.

State v. Abraham Yosef Bordas & Saul Garcia Macias

Judge: Circuit Judge Peter Brigham.

Hearing: Arraignment.

Defense lawyers: Brett N. Metcalf, private attorney, for Bordas, and Assistant Public Defender James John Croley representing Garcia Macias.

What happened at the hearing? Assistant State Attorney Yaveth Parodi told the court on Jan. 30 that prosecutors have filed charges against Bordas and Garcia Macias.

What are the charges? Garcia Macias, who is being held without bail, is charged with second-degree murder. Presently out of jail on bond, Bordas is charged with manslaughter.

When are their next court dates? Garcia Macias' next court appearance will be in early April. For Bordas, his next scheduled appearance is in May.

What happened? Bordas, 22, of Marion Oaks, was arrested by sheriff's detectives for allegedly playing around with a loaded gun that discharged. A bullet hit his friend, who later died. The incident occurred on Dec. 30.

Garcia Macias was on the run after reportedly shooting his teenage girlfriend to death in December. Garcia Macias is 21 and from Ocala.

Juvenile accused of falsely reporting mass shooting

Judge: Circuit Judge Brad King.

Hearing: Pre-trial conference for juveniles held Feb. 1.

Charges: The lawyer for an 11-year-old boy and prosecutors at the State Attorney's Office agreed to a plea on charges of false report of a mass shooting, utilizing a two-way communication device to commit a felony, disruption of a school function, and misuse of 911.

Lawyer: Kathleen Gillard of Orlando represented the juvenile.

About the case: The minor was arrested in early December and accused of falsely reporting that a shooter was at his school. The juvenile attended Horizon Academy in Marion Oaks. The boy's name is not being released by the Star-Banner because of his age.

What happened in court? A plea of no contest was entered and he was placed on indefinite probation. Adjudication was withheld. Presently home schooled, the boy was in court with his lawyer and members of his family.

Special conditions: There were multiple stipulations included in the agreement. The boy must write a 250-word essay that will be viewed by the judge on what harm the false call caused. The essay will include an apology to the school and the Marion County Sheriff's Office. The boy also must undergo a mental health evaluation; have no social media or unsupervised access for the telephone or internet; be home between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. each day; and pay restitution for court costs and prosecution.

Warning from the judge: The judge told the boy if he violates the probation then he will be back in court. An ankle monitor worn by the boy will be removed.

State v. Kadrian Lewuan Clayton

Judge: Circuit Judge Robert Hodges.

Lawyers: Assistant State Attorney Adam Smith and defense lawyer D. Gary Lashley.

Charges: Aggravated battery with a firearm, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a controlled substance.

Clayton was originally charged with attempted first-degree murder with a deadly weapon, but it was later amended. Clayton had four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony dropped by prosecutors. The charges were dropped because after talking with the alleged victims, prosecutors decided that the evidence is insufficient to prove his guilty.

Does Clayton have any previous arrests? Yes. Records show the 31-year-old Ocala man has spent time in prison for various crimes such as aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, burglary and grand theft. He has been released from prison since May 2022. Currently, he has two pending charges, one of being possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Hearing: Lawyers on Feb. 1 argued whether Clayton should be held at the county jail until his case is resolved or be granted a chance to make bail.

When and why Clayton was arrested? He was taken into custody last month when he was accused of shooting someone in the leg after a disagreement at Berkeley Pointe Apartments, formally known as Spring Manor Apartments. Before the shooting, Clayton was accused of displaying a firearm in front of several people.

What happened at the hearing? The prosecutor argued that Clayton has a history of failing to appear for hearings. The state also mentioned the nature of the crime and Clayton's efforts to elude capture, and noted that, when he eventually was found, he had a firearm and control substance in his possession.

The judge wanted to know if the victim had identified Clayton as the shooter. The state said yes. Lashley told the court witnesses have changed their stories, so no one can say for sure if his client fired the shot.

Guilty: Court roundup: Marion church bishop and former school official guilty of sexually abusing boy

How did the judge rule? Though the judge noted some evidentiary challenges for the state's case, he also said that Clayton poses a risk to the community based on his criminal history and his past failure to appear. The judge denied the request for pre-trial detention but set bail at $152,500.

Has Clayton posted bond? No. As of Monday, he was still at the jail.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Judge gives bond to former pastor charged with sex crimes