First court appearance for woman charged with crimes against nature
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, January 10, 2017
By Shavonne Walker
shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — A woman charged with committing numerous sexual acts with a dog and secretly recording a child in a bathroom made her first court appearance monday.
Wendy Arlene Kasper, 36, was charged Friday and released on a $25,000 secured bond. She appeared in District Court on Monday morning with her father.
Salisbury attorney Doug Smith was appointed to represent Kasper, who is expected to return to court at 9 a.m. Feb. 22.
Kasper told District Court Judge Charlie Brown that she had complied with the terms of her release by not having any contact with the 11-year-old victim. Brown said Kasper will have to abide by the terms set by the Rowan County Department of Social Services while she is out on bond.
Investigators charged Kasper with three counts of crimes against nature, felony secret peeping with a recording device and possessing photographic images from secret peeping.
Authorities accuse Kasper of having engaged in sexual acts with a dog on numerous occasions and secretly videoing a child in a bathroom for the purpose of sexual gratification.
The investigation indicated Kasper was involved in child pornography dissemination with Joshua Douglas Martorelli, 33, also of Salisbury. Officials said Martorelli may be involved in a larger child pornography group that is under investigation.
Detectives are searching for Martorelli. He was last seen in the Old Concord Road area of Salisbury. Sheriff’s detectives have obtained arrest warrants for Martorelli on charges of felony possession of photographic images from secret peeping and two counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigative Division joined with the Rowan County Department of Social Services in the investigation. Sheriff’s investigators side they determined that the suspects had possessed and traded pornographic images of a child.
The information is being shared with other jurisdictions and the State Bureau of Investigation.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Joshua Martorelli is asked to contact Lt. C.A. Moose at 704-216-8687 or Detective C.J. Gordy 704-216-8710. To remain anonymous and possibly collect an award of up to $1,000, submit information at the website http://tips.
