A 28-year-old Bowbells man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that he beat and raped a young woman who was working as a prostitute at the Sleep Inn in Minot on Feb. 19.

Scott Andrew Flood has been held on $100,000 bond at the Ward County Jail since his arrest in February. On Tuesday, North Central District Court Judge Gary Lee also refused to lower bond for Flood. Flood’s attorney, David Spencer, argued that the evidence in the case is “razor thin” and there are conflicting witness statements; Ward County Deputy state’s Attorney Kelly Dillon said Flood’s previous criminal record makes him a flight risk. Flood could face up to life in prison without parole if he is convicted of the Class AA felony gross sexual imposition charge and would have to register as a sex offender.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed in the case and testimony Tuesday by Minot Police Investigator David Goodman, police were called to the hotel hours after the alleged attack after they received a 911 call.

The alleged victim, who was born in 1998, had met Flood on Backpage.com and arranged to meet at the motel. She was supposed to be paid about $200 for her services. She told police she had not agreed to sexual intercourse; she usually agrees to another sexual act with clients. She later told police that Flood attacked her and tried to strangle her when she told him his time was up and it was time for him to leave. Flood had offered her more money for more time and she refused because he didn’t have the cash on him. Flood then choked, beat, and raped the woman.

The alleged victim’s 18-year-old friend and co-worker was hiding in the bathroom during her encounter with Flood and ran out of the room when she heard the other woman start to scream and saw Flood on top of her friend on the bed. The young woman’s friend wasn’t sure what to do and called several other people to ask for advice, Goodman testified, adding that he lectured the young woman for not calling the police immediately. Spencer asked Goodman whether the friend had called someone in Las Vegas and asked that woman to call police. Goodman said he couldn’t recall that.

The alleged victim and her friend had pleaded guilty to prostitution in Bismarck about a month before the incident, but were not charged for the Feb. 19 incident in Minot. Goodman testified charges are usually not filed against the alleged victim in cases such as this one and police were more interested in prosecuting the case against Flood. The two young women in the case had initially been evasive when they described the incident to police because they were afraid of being charged with prostitution.

Flood escaped out the window after the alleged victim’s friend returned to the room. He left behind his wallet. The alleged victim’s friend took a picture of Flood’s Idaho driver’s license. Flood returned to the women’s hotel room a few hours later and banged on the door, demanding his wallet. The alleged victim later handed him his wallet through the window.

Police interviewed other guests at the hotel later that morning, including a family with young children who had been staying in the room next to the alleged victim and her friend. The adult female witness said they heard a commotion coming from the room and banging on the door a few hours later and a woman who said she had called the police.

Goodman testified that there was blood found on the bedding from the hotel room and a medical exam of the alleged victim showed injuries. The young woman had a ruptured ear drum and other injuries allegedly stemming from the sexual assault. Goodman said he saw marks on the woman’s neck, which were not easy to see because of her darker skin tone. Lab results are not yet back from the state crime lab.

Under questioning from Spencer, Goodman testified that he did not ask the alleged victim how many other men she had been intimate with in the days prior to the incident. Dillon objected to that line of questioning since an alleged victim’s prior sexual encounters is not admissible at trial. Lee allowed the questioning because it was a probable cause hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence for the case to move forward. Lee did find probable cause. A pretrial conference is scheduled for July 18.