ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a child sex case that the state had previously dropped, Channel 9 learned.
Dickale Cothrell was first investigated in 2014 when a 14-year-old autistic girl said Cothrell had been raping her since 2012 inside a home where he lived with the girl and her mother.
Cothrell thought the case was closed until he was picked up on a warrant.
Authorities said the girl underwent a "sexual assault medical examination." The results were “positive for sexual abuse," investigators said.
Cothrell was arrested and was ready to go to trial, but in 2015, the court denied the state more time for a doctor’s evaluation on the girl and they dropped the charges.
During his first appearance before a judge Thursday, Cothrell said he did think he needed a lawyer.
“My mom is right there with the documentation, sir, showing you that I beat these charges,” Cothrell said.
“I may not agree with it, but it’s something they had the ability to do, and in your case, they did it,” said the judge.
But no prosecution in the case is not the same as beating the charges.
“What's different about this case is the passage of time. Over a year and two months, the greater the passage of time, the greater the problems for the state,” said WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer.
The state said the latest medical evaluation prompted them to refile.
The judge gave Cothrell a bail amount of $20,000. He was charged with two counts of sexual activity with a child.