Local man charged with sexual assault

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Brandon Bobbitt, 23, of Somerset, has been charged with sexual assault.

August 3, 2007

Man grabbed two women in sexual manner

By TRICIA NEAL CJ Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Fri Aug 03, 2007, 09:17 AM EDT

A Somerset man has been charged with sexual assault and robbery after he grabbed at least two women in two different locations in town.

Brandon Bobbitt, 23, of South Central Avenue, was arrested yesterday afternoon following an investigation by the Somerset Police Department.

Police believe Bobbitt is the suspect in incidents which occurred on June 16 and July 28.

On June 16, a female told police she had been followed through a Somerset grocery store by a black male, and that, when she left the store and attempted to get into her car, the man grabbed her in a sexual manner.

The female victim in that incident identified Bobbitt in a mug shot line-up, said SPD Detective Shannon Smith.

On July 28, Bobbitt allegedly grabbed a female in a sexual manner in downtown Somerset. Police say Bobbitt asked the woman for her shoes and pants, and stole her cell phone before she was able to call police for help.

The June 16 incident occurred around 11:40 a.m., and the July 28 incident was at 2 a.m.

Bobbitt was arrested on a warrant after police determined he was involved in both incidents. He was charged with 3rd degree sexual abuse and 2nd degree robbery, and was lodged in the Pulaski County Detention Center. A jail spokesperson said Bobbitt was being held on a $15,000 cash bond for the sexual assault charges and a $7,500, ten percent bond for the robbery charge.

Detective Smith said police believe Bobbitt could be a suspect in at least one other similar incident.

Smith reminds females to park or walk in well-lit areas at night, to carry a cell phone if possible, and to report suspicious activity to the police.

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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