Tuhn pleads not guilty for sexual abuse charge

By Brandon Hurley
Managing Editor
news@beeherald.com

A Jefferson man who was arrested three times last month and also attended a local high school basketball game after allegedly committing sexual assault has plead not guilty following his arrest last month.

Richard Tuhn, 43, was charged with third degree sexual assault and domestic abuse assault, his fifth offense, following an altercation Feb. 1. The charges were handed out Feb. 6, and he was arrested Feb. 9.
Tuhn filed a written plea of not guilty on Feb. 28. He also plead not guilty that same day for four counts of illegal possession of a firearm by a domestic abuse offender.

Tuhn was arrested the morning of Feb. 1 for felony possession of a firearm – his four previous domestic assault convictions as well as an assault conviction restrict Tuhn from ever legally owning a firearm.
He was twice convicted in 2010 and twice more in 2014. He also has been found guilty of assault after punching a man in 2019 following an altercation between he, Tuhn and another person.

Officers began investigating an alleged domestic abuse which may have involved Tuhn on Jan. 17. Two weeks later, a criminal report was filed on Jan. 31, alleging Tuhn was in illegal possession of two rifles. Officers implemented search warrants the following day, arresting Tuhn on Feb. 1, though he was later released that afternoon.

The alleged sexual abuse crimes were filed Feb. 2, claiming Tuhn had committed the sexual abuse after he was released from jail the day before. He then attended a basketball game at the Greene County High School later that night. Tuhn was arrested again Feb. 3, but not for a charge of sexual assault. He was charged with several other criminal infractions including illegal gun possession, and booked into the Greene County jail for the second time in three days.
Officers initially jailed Tuhn for felony possession of a firearm learning he was indeed the owner of two rifles and was alleged to have stolen a black, Walther handgun. He allegedly sent texts to the owner of the handgun, saying the subject “was never going to see the gun again” and Tuhn planned to “shoot police officers and force officers to shoot him,” according to court documents.

Tuhn was arrested for sexual abuse on Feb. 9 after officers first interviewed him in jail on Feb. 4, then conducted a more thorough investigation, which led to an official charge of sexual abuse and domestic abuse and an arrest warrant was served.
A pretrial conference has been set for 9 a.m. on May 23 for Tuhn’s charges of sexual abuse and domestic abuse. A jury trial will begin at 9 a.m. on June 14.
A pretrial conference for the four counts of illegal possession of a firearm has been set for 1 p.m. April 20. An ensuing jury trial will take place starting at 9 a.m. May 10.

Tuhn is also facing singular charges of possession of marijuna and possession of drug paraphernalia, which were discovered during booking on Feb. 3 in a cigarette package. He plead not guilty to both charges.
Tuhn was still in the Greene County jail as of Feb. 28, the date of his not guilty plea.