By JANIE SLAVEN<br>Record Staff Writer
WHITLEY CITY — A McCreary County grand jury returned four indictments naming five individuals for the month of January.
Topping that list was Jonathan Upchurch, who has been charged with Failure to Comply with Sex Offender Registration beginning October 1. The Kentucky State Police Sex Offender Registry lists Jonathan Andrew Upchurch, 26, of Whitley City, as non-compliant with an address that can’t be verified. According to the website, Upchurch moved into the county from Tennessee follow-ing a conviction for statutory rape. The victim was 14.
Stacey Ball of Stearns and Chasity Ross of Whitley City have been jointly char-ged with first-degree criminal abuse in connection to the November 15 beating of a boy under the age of 12. Each woman is individually charged with an additional count of first-degree assault.
Joseph H. Clark of Pine Knot has been indicted for Possession of a Handgun by a Convicted Felon. The charge stems from a December 23 incident in which Clark was found with a .38 caliber Charter Arms handgun and a Monitor 410 shotgun. He was previously convicted of first-degree rape in 1992 in Fayette County.
Joshua Jones (no address given) was charged with Receiving Stolen Property between $500 and $10,000. Jones is accused of stealing a Gibson guitar valued over $500 from Shanna Jones.
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Readers are reminded that an indictment is a charge and should not be considered as evidence of an individual’s guilt. Anyone under indictment is presumed innocent until and unless convicted in a court of law.
