28-year-old man bound over on lewdness with a child charge

A 28-year-old transient man was bound over to district court Monday afternoon on a charge of lewdness with a minor under the age of 14.

Jason Bender allegedly fondled a 6-year-old girl after her pants were partially pulled down at Carson City residence in September.

The girl testified Monday, Bender never touched her body, although she said he pulled her pants down.

When Bender spoke to a detective during a recorded interview, after he was arrested in September, he told the detective he has a problem.

"He started off by telling me he has a problem and that he wants to get help," Detective Dan Gomes testified on Monday.

Bender told Gomes he allegedly fondled the girl through the front of her partially pulled-down pants, although Bender told the detective he was not sure if he had pulled her pants down or she had pulled them down at his request.

Bender wrote an apology letter to the family after Gomes asked him to, which was admitted into evidence Monday over the objections of Bender's attorney.

Bender is to appear in Department 1 of district court on Dec. 31 to be arraigned.