UPDATE: Man Arraigned on Molestation Charges

Updated Jan. 27 at 3 p.m. Chris Gene Smith appeared in court Friday, and remains in jail on no-bail. Smith plead not guilty to two counts of sexually assaulting a minor on Jan. 18, and did not enter a plea during his court appearance Friday at 9 a.m. Smith will return to court on Feb. 10 at 9 a.m. in dept. 90 at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse.

Chris Gene Smith, 19, was arraigned Wednesday afternoon at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on two counts of sexually assaulting a minor, according to Lisa McCrary, spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.

A complaint of lewd acts with a child were filed last Thursday, Jan. 12, with the Gilroy Police Department.

"Basically, the complaint itself reads that there was a person who was 18 or over engaged in oral copulation and the child was four years old,” McCrary said.

McCrary said charges were officially filed by the District Attorney’s office this morning.

Under California penal code, any person aged 18 years old or over who engages in oral copulation or sexual penetration with a child faces a minimum of 15 years to life in prison, said Deputy District Attorney Clarissa Hamilton.

“He was charged with two counts of 288.7(b) which is engaging in oral copulation with a child 10 years of age or younger, and each account carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years to life,” she said.

Those two ccounts mean that Smith will face a minimum of 30 years in prison, Hamilton said.

Smith was denied bail and is currently booked at the Santa Clara County main jail. His will appear in court on Jan. 27 at 9 a.m. in dept. 10, although Hamilton said it could be a while before a verdict is reached.

“Given the serious allegation nothing will probably happen at that point either,” she said.

Information regarding Smith's residency was not available at the time of contact, but Hamilton said he is either a Gilroy or Morgan Hill resident.

Patch will have updates when more information is available.