Merced man charged with raping unconscious teen asks judge to cut his bail

A 19-year-old man accused of playing rock, paper, scissors to determine who would first rape an unconscious teen at a party was denied a bail reduction this week in Merced County Superior Court.

Deputy Public Defender Armando Lope, who represents Bentley, filed a motion asking the court to reduce his client’s bail, currently set at $100,000.

But visiting Judge Douglas V. Mewhinney refused to lower the amount, according to court records.

Lope did not return Sun-Star messages seeking comment on Tuesday.

Bentley has pleaded not guilty to four felony counts, including rape by use of drugs, rape of an unconscious person and conspiracy to commit a crime.

The charges stem from a house party last summer in Winton. Investigators say Bentley and another teen encouraged a 17-year-old girl to drink beer until she was so drunk they carried her to a bedroom. The last thing she remembered before passing out, authorities say, was seeing the two men playing rock, paper, scissors, a game that determined who would have sex with her first, according to court documents.

In two interviews with a Merced County sheriff’s deputy, Bentley said he helped carry the victim to the bedroom and then went outside to smoke a cigarette. He denied having sex with her, according to reports filed by investigators.

The victim did not remember any sexual encounter with Bentley, according to reports.

But after a DNA test of material on her underwear matched that of both men, Bentley admitted to having sex with the victim, according to court records. He also admitted to playing rock, paper, scissors to see who would have sex with the victim first, the reports say.

Bentley was ordered to stand trial for the charges in April. He remains in custody at the John Latorraca Correctional Facility and is due back in court next month for a trial setting hearing.

This story was originally published June 14, 2017 at 6:50 AM with the headline "Merced man charged with raping unconscious teen asks judge to cut his bail."