Bodenweiser released from SCI
Georgetown resident Eric Bodenweiser, who was indicted on 113 felony sex charges Oct. 22, was released from Sussex Correctional Institution on $250,000 secured bail.
According to a Sussex County grand jury indictment, unsealed Oct. 22, Bodenweiser raped a boy 39 times over a three-year period.
Bodenweiser, 53, faces 39 charges of first-degree unlawful sexual intercourse and 74 charges of second-degree unlawful sexual contact.
According to a press release from the Attorney General's Office, Delaware State Police initiated the investigation of Bodenweiser several weeks ago, after police received information that Bodenweiser had sexually abused a child.
According to the indictment, the abuse occurred between Oct. 1, 1987 and Aug. 31, 1990.
The crimes against the victim would have begun when the victim was 10 and ended when he was 13.
The press release also says Bodenweiser turned himself in to police at the Sussex County Superior Courthouse in Georgetown, where he was arraigned and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution.
According to Department of Correction Spokesman John Painter, Bodenweiser was released from SCI Oct. 23. As ordered by Superior Court Judge E. Scott Bradley, Bodenweiser is on pretrial supervision and will be monitored through a GPS unit.
“Pretrial supervision is the supervision of individuals who have been charged with a crime but not yet had their cases adjudicated. These individuals are released from custody and, as a condition of their bond, have been court-ordered to be placed under supervision,” Painter said.
Bodenweiser, a well-known Republican and 9-12 Delaware Patriot, unseated incumbent Sen. Joe Booth, R-Georgetown, in the Sept. 11 primary election for the GOP nomination for Senate District 19.
Bodenweiser was endorsed by 2010 Republican U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell, who spoke at a Sept. 27 fundraiser for Bodenweiser at his campaign headquarters in Georgetown.
Annette Burgess from Christine O’Donnell’s political action committee, ChristinePAC, said in an email, “As you can well imagine, a lot of people were surprised by the news and our thoughts/prayers go out to all parties involved.”
Bodenweiser suspended his campaign after failing to appear at several campaign events after the fundraiser. He withdrew from the Senate race Oct. 18.
Former Georgetown Mayor Brian Pettyjohn filed as a write-in candidate Oct. 1. State and county Republican leaders have since endorsed Pettyjohn.
Democrat Jane Hovington, who is also running to represent voters in Senate District 19, is the only candidate whose name will appear on the Tuesday, Nov. 6 election ballot.
