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New child abuse charges filed against Brent Castleman, Minot

The state has filed several new felony child abuse and child neglect charges against Brent Allen Castleman, 51, of Minot.

Court records show that Castleman is charged with one Class B felony child abuse charge, five Class C felony child abuse charges and four Class C felony child neglect charges in North Central District Court in Minot.

The charges were filed against Castleman on Friday and the court documents have been ordered sealed. An initial appearance was scheduled in court on Monday before Judge Gary Lee.

The Ward County State’s Attorney’s Office had previously filed two Class C felony child abuse charges against Castleman and then requested in August, right before the case was scheduled for trial, that the charges be dismissed because more investigation was required. In that case, Castleman had been accused of physically abusing his two boys, ages 13 and 11, earlier this year. Judge Doug Mattson dismissed the charges and ordered that the state first seek permission before it refiled the charges unless it first convened a grand jury and subsequently filed an indictment.

In court on Monday, Ward County Assistant State’s Attorney Christopher Nelson questioned whether the court had authority to issue such an order, while Castleman’s defense attorney, Robert Ackre, said the new charges seem to be the same as those in the case that was dismissed two months ago. Ackre said “there’s nothing new” and it’s the same case, based on the allegations from the original complaint.

Judge Gary Lee said on Monday that he is recusing himself from the case because he just heard Castleman’s divorce action and he was putting this new case before Mattson. Neither side agreed on the proposed bond, so Lee said he could not issue a bond order for Castleman either.

There has been an ongoing battle in family court over Castleman’s custody and visitation with his children. He is currently barred from having contact with the children or with their mother.

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