(CARMI, IL) — A Dahlgren man remains lodged in the White County Jail on sexual assault and abuse charges. According to the McLeansboro Times-Leader, 18-year-old Brett H. Ewald recently made his first appearance in Hamilton County Court, where he pled not guilty to the charges and waived his right to a preliminary hearing. Ewald allegedly had sexual contact with a girl who was younger than 13 years old. Hamilton County State’s Attorney Justin Hood charged Ewald with two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Hood says two counts are Class X felonies and carry a sentence from six to 60 years in prison if Ewald is found guilty. The other two charges are Class 2 felonies with sentencing ranges of three to seven years with the possibility of probation. A pre-trial conference for Ewald has been set for March 16.