Former Boal Mansion Museum CEO Christopher Lee was supposed to appear in court next week to stand trial for child sex abuse charges, but his day in court has been delayed once again.
Lee faces a slew of felony charges for allegedly bringing foreign minors into the country with the intent to molest them, as well as producing and possessing child pornography.
His attorney Kyle Rude successfully convinced United States District Judge Matthew Brann to split these charges into two separate trials in June, but federal prosecutors want that decision reconsidered.
Last week, prosecutors asked the court to delay Lee’s August 31 trial date while they make their case that all of Lee’s charges should be grouped together in a single trial. Judge Brann granted that request on Friday, concurring with the prosecutors’ position the issue is too complex to resolve in a week.
“The ends of justice served by granting this continuance outweigh the best interest of the public and defendant in a speedy trial,” Brann’s order reads.
Rude opposed further delaying Lee’s trial, according to court documents. Since Lee was indicted last October, his trial has been pushed back six times. Rude has also argued that Lee should be released before his trial, but Brann has repeatedly denied that request.
Lee was arrested in Boalsburg in October 2014 following a joint investigation involving State College police and the FBI. He has been held in federal custody without bail since his arrest, and stepped down from his positions as Boal Mansion CEO and Harris Township Supervisor in February.
