GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — A Mesa County judge set bond at $1 million for a man charged with 17 counts related to substantial sex offenses against a child.
Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubinstein tells WesternSlopeNow that he asked the judge to set a bond he knew 32-year-old Niko Niskala could not make. Rubinstein said Niskala is considered a danger to the community as well as a flight risk.
The 17 charges against Niskala include two sentence enhancers, a Crime of Violence and Jessica's Law. Jessica's Law, enacted after the rape and murder of a young Florida girl, protects potential victims against predators who may re-offend. It carries a minimum 25-year sentence and electronic monitoring for life.
Charges against Niskala include a pattern of sexual assault and violation of a protection order. The DA asked for a $500 thousand, cash-only bond but the judge upped it to $1 million to protect the public.
We will continue to update this post, as we learn more.