Man bound over on sexual assault, lewdness charges

Following emotional testimony from two teenage girls that their stepfather sexually abused them, the Gardnerville man was bound over Tuesday to district court for trial on nine counts of sexual assault and lewdness with a child under 14. The Justice Court order that Jeffrey Volosin, 30, stand trial for alleged abuse and lewdness followed testimony from both of the alleged victims that Volosin sexually assaulted or molested them while he lived with the two girls and their mother in a series of motels and apartments across Carson City. The abuse allegedly started in 2001 and continued until 2008.The younger victim, now 16, said Volosin allegedly assaulted her from the time she was six years old until she was 12. The abuse progressed after the first time, reaching a daily basis, she said.“I just know it happened every day,” she said.The other victim, now 19, testified she was abused at least four times between the ages of six and eight and had blocked many other instances out of her mind.“I don’t remember half the times because I’ve blocked them out on purpose,” she said.The 19-year-old testified she was able to get away from Volosin by moving in with her father, who lived in another part of the country. The girl, nine at the time, did not tell her father why she wanted to move in with him.“I didn’t tell him because it was too uncomfortable,” she said.The 19-year-old looked straight ahead for most of her testimony and looked straight ahead when she was asked to describe Volosin.The 16-year-old said she felt similarly uncomfortable.“I’m scared,” she said when defense attorney Richard Davies asked her why she was able to remember details she had testified she could not remember before a five-minute bathroom break. “I’m scared to see him.”She sat with semi-closed eyes for much of her testimony, in contrast to her sister’s straight-ahead stare.The 16-year-old said she told her mother of the alleged abuse in 2006 and was taken to the sheriff’s office to report it. She said she felt safe enough at the time because her mother and Volosin were living apart at the time. She said she later recanted because she was afraid of Volosin and what he would do to her and her family.“A few days later I came home from school and he and her were at home,” she said, adding that the abuse continued and increased in frequency after she recanted.“He made threats,” she said. “He said, ‘you’re going into a foster home.’”The 19-year-old testified she also told her mother of the alleged abuse, although for her it was after she had moved in with her father.“She didn’t believe me,” the 19-year-old said. “I told her why (I moved) and she called me a liar and said it’s not true.”Volosin was arrested on April 29 on a warrant charging 14 counts of sexual assault and lewdness with a child under the age of 14. The number of charges was dropped to nine before his originally scheduled preliminary hearing in Justice Court, which was continued until Tuesday.One or more additional counts are possible because additional evidence came during the preliminary hearing, Assistant District Attorney Mark Krueger said.