A St Joseph man accused of having sex with a girl under the age of six pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance Tuesday.  A preliminary hearing is scheduled next month for Terry Lynn Matson on one count of Statutory Sodomy. According to court documents, the victim told investigators the sexual contact occurred in 2014 and continued into early this year.

Mr Matson has pleaded guilty to charges of Non-Support at least four times in Buchanan County. According to the court affidavit, he has a conviction for Battery in another state.

He appeared via video conferencing in the courtroom of Buchanan County Associate Circuit Judge Rebecca Spencer Tuesday morning.

Judge Spencer accepted his plead of not guilty and scheduled the matter for the preliminary hearing April 1. Matson remains in custody in lieu of $25,000 cash bond.