Sebastian – Kaitlyn Hunt, the former Sebastian River High School student charged with having sex with her underage girlfriend, called her bail bondsman Ronald Barnett late yesterday and asked him to rescind her bond and return her jail, Barnett said.
Barnett obliged and Hunt was booked at 9 p.m. last night into the Indian River County Jail, records show. Barnett said he believes Hunt and her parents made the decision after it became clear she had violated a judge’s order and could face additional charges. Barnett said he believes she would have appeared at all court hearings and had no plans to rescind her bond himself.
Barnett, who owns Barnett’s Bail Bonds, provided the $5,000 bond for Hunt. Hunt, 19, is charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious battery on a child between 12 and 16 years of age for a lesbian romance with a fellow student, when Hunt was 18 and the girl was 14. The girl is now 15. The two teens met in late 2012 when both played on the girls’ basketball team. Hunt has since graduated.
Hunt will appear before 19th Circuit Judge Robert L. Pegg at 1 p.m. today to explain to him why she allegedly violated his “no contact order” by sending more than 20,000 texts to the girl and 25 “lewd” photographs, according to Pegg’s Judicial Assistant Barbara Michaud.
On August 9, Hunt was offered a plea deal on nonsexual charges by State Attorney Bruce Colton, which would have meant no jail time. Hunt would not have had to register as a sex offender. According to the State Attorney’s Office, that offer was withdrawn on August 19 after it came to light Hunt was communicating with the victim. Hunt allegedly had an iPod placed in the younger girl’s locker before the end of the last school year. Hunt had been kicked out of school.
The victim’s parents called the Indian River Sheriff’s Office two weeks ago when they found Hunt continuing to contact their daughter. Detectives conducted an investigation and turned over all its reports and evidence on the case to Colton.
The State Attorney’s Office said no decision had been made on whether Hunt could face additional charges. A judge will determine whether to revoke her bail at today’s hearing.
