Sylvester Provencio

by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Sylvester Provencio, 22, of Caldwell has pled not guilty to the felony charge of rape which will now go toward a jury trial during the second week of May.

The plea was made during his arraignment held at Sumner County District Court this afternoon. Provencio is accused of raping a 13-year-old girl during a New Year’s Eve Party at the home of his parents in January.

Sumner County District Judge Scott McQuin also refused Provencio’s defense attorney’s request to reduce his bond from $200,000 — $100,000 for the rape charge and $100,000 for an unrelated assault charge — to a lesser $50,000 bond charge.

Provencio is all facing two felony and three misdemeanor charges over an alleged attack involving two Caldwell men on April 22, 2015. That trial is set for late April.

McQuin said after violating the previous bond on the assault case, he felt it would not be appropriate to reduce the bond again.

Provencio is currently in custody at Sumner County Jail.

The jury trial for the rape charge is expected to start around May 10.