Merced judge denies defendant’s release request, pending trial on child sex abuse charges

A judge on Monday denied a Merced man’s request to be released from jail, pending criminal proceedings against him on felony child abuse charges in Merced County Superior Court.

Javante Michael Porterfield, 20, has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of sexual intercourse with a child 10 years old or younger, sodomy with a child 10 years old or younger and oral copulation with a child 10 years old or younger, all felonies.

He faces 75 years to life in prison if convicted on all counts.

Defense Attorney Todd McLean requested that Porterfield be released due to not being employed and not being able to afford the bail. Porterfield has no previous criminal record, McLean said, and has no history of misdemeanors, arrests or jail time.

“He was previously arrested in this case and then he was released before charges were filed,” McLean said during proceedings on Monday. “He didn’t flee the area. He was cooperative and there were no issues finding him to arrest him the second time.”

Deputy District Attorney Angelica Lozano pushed back on Porterfield’s release, saying he is a threat to the community.

Presiding Judge Carol Ash agreed with the prosecution. .“The charges are very, very concerning,” Ash said during court. “Given the nature of the charges, I’m going to find he is a threat to the public.”

According to the police report, the child told police she was assaulted multiple times over the course of a year, beginning in 2021 and continuing until March of this year. She also said he would tell her to not tell anyone after each assault, and that at times, when he was assaulting her, he would ask her if she’d told anyone.

When she told her family, they called the Merced Police Department and officers arrested Porterfield on March 10 at the house where he lived.

Porterfield’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 23 at 10 a.m. in the Merced County Superior Court. He remains in jail, in lieu of $3 million bail.

This story was originally published April 4, 2022 at 12:38 PM.