A Warren man accused of sexually abusing a two-month-old child appeared before Judge Gregory Hammond on Monday, but failed to enter a plea.
Francis J. Notoro, 225 Pennsylvania Ave. W., Apt. 302, appeared during court Monday afternoon ostensibly to enter a guilty plea pursuant to an agreement between his defense counsel and the Warren County district attorney.
Notoro initially had chosen to represent himself against charges including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, indecent assault, simple assault and rape, amongst other counts.
The charges stem from a July 15 incident in which personnel at Warren General Hospital reported suspicious injuries to the body of an infant Notoro had brought to the hospital. Further examination of the injuries found bruising and abrasions consistent with bite marks on various body parts.
In August, Hammond deemed Notoro not to be competent to represent himself and ordered the Warren County Public Defender's Office to act as counsel in the case.
According to the district attorney's office, Notoro re-iterated his objection to his assigned counsel on Monday and refused to enter a plea of guilty.
The case will now be moved forward for trial.