Marine Recruiter Sgt. Arthur Pledger Arraigned in Rape Case

A Marine recruiter accused of rape in a case involving a 15-year-old high school student in Louisville, Ky., pleaded not guilty Monday to two counts of third-degree rape.Sgt. Arthur Pledger Jr., 27, is accused of sexual misconduct with the teen on two occasions between Sept. 1 and Oct. 10. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison. See also: Military at ToysRus Austin “No Child Left Behind “: “Trojan Horse” for Pentagon Recruiters Pentagon Targets Afro and Hispanic Youth to Fight Its Wars America’s Child Soldiers: US Military Recruiting Children

Pledger is assigned to the south Louisville office, according to a Department of Defense Web site.

According to court documents, Pledger allegedly met the teenager at the high school while he was working and the two began communicating later on MySpace.com, a popular social-networking site.

Pledger allegedly arranged for two meetings with the teen. He picked her up once at a friend’s house and another time in a church parking lot, according to court documents.

John Balliet, assistant commonwealth’s attorney in the case, could not be reached for comment.

Gary Stewart, an attorney who represented Pledger at the arraignment, said he was only standing in for another attorney and declined to discuss the case.

Pledger’s bond was set at $30,000 cash, according to court documents. He is being held at Metro Corrections.

Louisville Metro Police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley said the department’s Crimes Against Children Unit is investigating the case.

Lauren Roberts, a spokeswoman for Jefferson County Public Schools, said Pledger did some work at the high school for the last two to three years, but none of the allegations involve misconduct at the school.