Accused child abuser free on bond

An accused child abuser, facing up to 25 years in prison, was released on bond March 4, after Montana 19th Judicial District Judge James Wheelis reduced the bail amount from $25,000 to $15,000. Robert Earl Spady made bail Friday, March 4, and was released at 9:35 a.m., according to information obtained from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

In court Monday, Feb. 29, Spady’s attorney, Charles Sprinkle, asked for Spady to be released on his own recognizance, a motion which was denied by Wheelis. Sprinkle then asked for bond to be reduced to $5,000. Judge Wheelis asked Lincoln County Attorney Bernard Cassidy if the state would object to reducing bail to $10,000, to which Cassidy responded he wouldn’t object to modifying bail to $20,000. Wheelis then split the difference and reduced the initial bond, set by Justice of the Peace Jay Sheffield, to $15,000.

Spady was arrested Jan. 25, 2016, and has been charged with assault with a weapon or, in the alternative, partner family  member assault – third offense. He is also charged with assault on a minor. All three charges are felonies.

According to the affidavit filed as part of the charging documents, Spady assaulted his 12-year-old son, X.S. and another 12-year-old boy, identified as T.M.

“Robert went in and pushed T.M. into the tub and X.S. said he tried to push him out but he was thrown to the ground,” Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office deputy Brad Dodson wrote in the affidavit. “X.S. said he pointed the knife at T.M. and said to stay out of it.”

The son reported to law enforcement that he was physically attacked by Spady and prevented from using the phone to contact law enforcement.

“X.S. said that he was hit, and choked and hit,” Dodson wrote. “X.S. and T.M. again tried to distract Robert so they could call law enforcement. Robert took the phone away and wouldn’t let him call.”

Dodson noted several indicators of physical abuse on Spady’s son, although none were discernible on the other boy.

“X.S. had red marks at the base of his throat and complained of a headache from being hit and hitting his head,” he wrote. “There was a scratch mark on his torso he said from his dad. There was also a cut on his lip and his left eye was starting to swell.”