Mills Man Pleads Not Guilty to Three Counts of Sexual Assault
A Mills man pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual assault in an arraignment at Natrona County District Court today, Jan. 24, before Judge Kerri Johnson: sexual assault in the first, second, and third degree. Punishable by up to 50 years imprisonment.
According to court documents, the alleged victim of the assault told an investigating officer that Samuel Martin Nania forcibly penetrated her on the night of January 28, 2022.
The investigator reviewed several text messages between the alleged victim and the defendant, of which included admissions from Nania of sexual assault, using the word "rape."
The affidavit accompanying the case claims that Nania agreed to a voluntary interview with the investigator on September 29, 2022.
In the interview, the investigator confronted Nania about telling "a number of people" he had raped the alleged victim.
Nania admitted to physical assault, but did not believe he committed sexual assault.
He also told the investigator that he had told others it was rape "to appease her and get back with her" and that "if he had his head about him he would not have admitted" to sexual assault.
The prosecuting attorney, Kevin Taheri, told the court that there was evidence of meth use in this case as a drug test of the defendent yielded a presumptive positive.
Johnson set bond conditions remain the same. Bond was initially set in the amount of $30,000 cash or surety.
A trial will be set for a later date.