Perquimans County, N.C. - A family charged in a sexual assault case in Perquimans County appeared back in court on Thursday where their case was continued for a third time.
Six brothers are accused of abusing their sister, and their parents are accused with knowing about the abuse and failing to take any action.
Three of the brothers and their parents are all out on bond while three others remain in jail.
In court on Thursday, two of their attorneys asked for a bond reduction. The District Attorney argued against it and eventually a judge refused the request again.
An investigation began earlier this year when the oldest brother, 27-year-old Eric Jackson, told a church elder that he and his brothers had molested a girl, according to deputies. Court records show Eric Jackson later confessed to deputies that he and his five brothers, Jon, Matthew, Nathaniel, Benjamin and Aaron, sexually abused their younger sister from the time she was four until she was about 14.
Their parents were also charged because the Perquimans County Sheriff says John and Nita Jackson were aware of the abuse and failed to take action.
When word got around in the small town about the investigation, the family moved to Colorado.
That's where the victim has been living with relatives since her brothers' arrest.
The district attorney tells NewsChannel 3 she flew to Colorado last week to meet with the victim who is now 16 years old. It was expected that plea deals would be discussed in court on Thursday, but the state ended up asking the judge for a continuance.
Since returning to North Carolina, the district attorney says there hasn't been enough time to come up with plea deals for each defendant. The DA says there are a number of reasons, including the severity and number of charges, plus the number of defendants and the distance between Perquimans County and Colorado, where the victim remains with other family.
As of now, there isn't a set time for the next court date and there's a chance it could be pushed back until February.
Stay with NewsChannel 3 as we continue to follow the story.
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Perquimans Co. brothers accused of sexually abusing younger sister appear in court
