ST. LOUIS – An Afghan man accused of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old boy last month appeared in St. Louis Circuit Court on Monday for a bond hearing.
An attorney for Osmani Haji Gul wants his client released on bond. However, the judge delayed the hearing two weeks due to a language barrier. Gul speaks Pashto, and the judge said cited difficulty finding a certified translator.
The court has vendors who provide certified interpreters as quickly as possible, but it can take longer with less common languages, such as Pashto. Translation certification is conducted through a program via the Office of State Courts Administrator.
This was not Gul’s first court appearance. A hearing was also postponed from last week for the same reason.
Gul, 34, was charged with first-degree sodomy, sexual misconduct, attempted statutory sodomy, and four-degree assault in connection with two alleged incidents.
Police claim the most recent incident occurred July 23 in the St. Louis Hills neighborhood. The 6-year-old victim was riding his bicycle when a man, believed to be Gul, walked up to the child, snatched him off the bike, and took the boy to a nearby vacant residence, and sexually assaulted him.
Investigators tied Gul to another crime at Francis Park on July 16. The victim in that incident is a 12-year-old.
Gul’s next hearing is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 21