Linda Payne

A Catawba County man has been ordered to perform community service and register as a sex offender after pleading guilty to taking indecent liberties with a minor.

Joshua Lee Pettry, 29, formerly of Granite Falls, pleaded guilty to felony indecent liberties with a child during the recent Superior Court administrative session. In exchange, prosecutors agreed not to pursue statutory rape charges from the incident.

Pettry is accused of "taking or attempting to take immoral, improper and indecent liberties with a child" under the age of 16 sometime between May and June 2008. The maximum punishment for this charge is 59 months in prison. However, the Honorable Judge Beverly Beal sentenced Pettry to 60 months supervised probation.

The first six months of that sentence will be intensive probation, during which time Pettry must complete 50 hours community service and abide by the mandated curfew.

Once he is moved to regular supervised probation, Pettry has to perform 96 hours of community service within 120 days. He also must comply with any sex offender treatment programs and register as a sex offender for a minimum of 10 years.

Beal also ordered Pettry to spend up to six days in the Caldwell County Detention Center until patrol officers can verify a proper address. He remained in custody as of Tuesday.

If Pettry fails to comply with any portion of the probationary terms, he will spend between 15 and 18 months behind bars.

Murder suspect receives bond

A Caldwell County man charged in the shooting death of Cedric Jovan Harshaw has been awarded bail.

Judge Beal set a $200,000 cash bond for Rashad Donte Jordan during the recent administrative session. However, Jordan remained confined to the Caldwell County Detention Center Tuesday.

As part of his pre-trial release conditions, Beal told Jordan he is not allowed to leave Caldwell or Catawba counties, possess firearms or commit with no crimes. He also has been ordered to comply with electronic house arrest and is not allowed to reside in the same neighborhood on Wheeler Street in which the alleged incident took place.

Jordan is charged with shooting Harshaw in January 2007. Reports show there had been an ongoing argument between Jordan and Harshaw. The night of the incident, reports show that Jordan drove to the victim's location, which is where the alleged shooting took place.

Officers said that witnesses told them the shooter used a long-barrel firearm, and a detailed Crimestoppers tip led the detectives to Jordan, who didn't put up any resistance when he was taken into custody.

The trial for Jordan is expected to start with jury selection Monday, Dec. 7.