A 52-year-old South Dakota man is sitting in the Palo Alto County Jail on a $30,000 cash-only bond after being arrested on six felony counts of third-degree sexual abuse tied to an offense date of October 1, 2008 — nearly two decades before he was taken into custody. Austin Cameron Noble, of Tea, South Dakota, was arrested by the Palo Alto County Sheriff's Office shortly after 6 p.m. on September 15 on a Palo Alto County warrant, according to court records.
Noble is charged with six Class C felonies, according to Northwest Iowa Now, which first reported his arrest. He was unable to post the $30,000 bond and remains booked into the county jail as he awaits an initial appearance before a magistrate. Authorities have released no further details about the specific allegations behind the charges.
As a general matter, Iowa Code § 802.2 provides that sexual abuse charges involving a victim under 18 carry no statute of limitations. Separately, Iowa Code § 709.4 defines third-degree sexual abuse as a Class C felony involving sex acts committed by force, against an incapacitated person, or under specific age or authority disparities.
What a Conviction Could Mean
A Class C felony conviction in Iowa carries an indeterminate state prison sentence of up to 10 years, according to the Iowa Legislative Services Agency. For offenses committed before July 15, 2020, a Class C felony conviction carries a fine of $1,000 to $10,000 and a 35 percent criminal-penalty surcharge. Individuals convicted of Class C felony sexual abuse in Iowa must also register on the state's sex offender registry under Iowa Code Chapter 692A, with Tier II or Tier III restrictions depending on the age of the victim and the severity of the offense, per the same legislative agency's findings.
The cash-only bond structure set in Noble's case means the full $30,000 must be deposited directly with the court or jail before he can be released, with standard commercial bail bonds not accepted as an option, according to Clark & Sears Law. That structure is one reason Noble remains held while the case proceeds toward an initial appearance.
A Long Way From Home
Tea, South Dakota, where Noble resides, sits in Lincoln County near Sioux Falls.
Palo Alto County is a rural stretch of northwest Iowa, according to the Palo Alto County. Emmetsburg, the county seat where Noble is now jailed, has 3,706 residents. The Palo Alto County Sheriff's Office runs 24-hour law enforcement, jail, and dispatch operations for the entire county out of its facility at 2002 10th Street in Emmetsburg.
On September 25, Noble was awaiting an initial appearance before a magistrate, and no additional details about the allegations had been released.
