Bench warrant issued for Nashua man accused of sexual abuse after incident with firefighter

CHARLES CITY — A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a Nashua man out on bail awaiting trial on multiple child sexual abuse-related charges in Floyd County after allegedly violating the terms of the pre-trial release.

39-year-old Ethan Vorhes is accused of inappropriate contact with two minor children between 2018 and 2022, which also included showing pornography on one occasion to one of the victims during the abuse. Vorhes has pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree sexual abuse, two counts of third-degree sexual abuse, two counts of lascivious acts with a child, two counts of indecent contact with a child, one count of indecent exposure, and one count of dissemination and exhibition of obscene material to a minor. His trial is scheduled to start on June 13th.

The Iowa Department of Corrections filed a pre-trial violation report late last week after Vorhes was charged with assault on persons in certain occupations. Vorhes allegedly sprayed a Marble Rock firefighter with fuel after they responded to a controlled burn Vorhes was conducting on a field two miles east of Marble Rock on Wednesday evening.

District Judge DeDra Schroeder issued the bench warrant on Thursday for $100,000 cash only in the defendant’s name. At last check, Vorhes was not in custody.