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Billings teen pleads not guilty to five counts of rape

Posted at 5:00 PM, Sep 04, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-05 12:48:46-04

BILLINGS – A 17-year-old Billings high school student charged with five counts of sexual intercourse without consent pleaded not guilty to those charges Tuesday in Yellowstone County District Court.

Brayden Pond is charged as an adult and is accused of allegedly raping five teenage girls in 2017.

Pond was set to appear at 9:30 a.m. according to a court appearance schedule provided by Yellowstone County District Court, but was seen by Judge Michael Moses before that time.

Pond was not initially booked into Yellowstone County jail for the charges and has instead been placed into an “alternative setting,” according to School District 2 Superintendent Greg Upham.

Upham previously told Q2 News that Pond was suspended from school.

Deputy Yellowstone County Attorney Laura Watson didn’t state whether Pond was released on his own recognizance but said no bond was set during Tuesday’s court hearing.

According to court documents, Pondis accused of raping or sexually assaulting five different teenage girls, during five incidents spanning from February 2017 to May 2017.

Each charge is a felony and carries four to 100 years in prison. Each count also carries a fine of $50,000.