BENNINGTON — A Pownal man who was arraigned Feb. 2 on a felony charge of domestic assault is being held without bail after being arraigned one week later on a felony charge of sexually assaulting the same woman.

Ian S. Buck, 22, first pleaded innocent in Bennington criminal court to second-degree aggravated domestic assault and a misdemeanor charge of violating an abuse prevention order.

On Thursday, Buck pleaded innocent to the sexual assault charge in the same court. He faces a mandatory minimum of three years in prison and a maximum of life in prison if convicted on that charge.

In an affidavit in the first docket, Justin Niles, the investigator for the Bennington County state’s attorney’s office, said he met with Heather Hannan, a probation and parole officer with the Vermont Department of Corrections, on Nov. 22. Hannan said she had met with a woman April 28 who had severe bruises on the left side of her face and her left ear.

Hannan said the woman told her she had been beaten by Buck. Niles said that when he interviewed the woman Dec. 8, she said she had a romantic relationship with Buck but that he became violent with her several times after they began dating in August 2008.

The woman told Niles that Buck had hit her “over and over” on April 24 during an argument, leaving her unable to walk or move her back.

On April 24, Buck was subject to a relief-from-abuse order, according to Niles.

Niles said that at the time the affidavit was written, on Dec. 29, he was unable to find Buck. On Feb. 2, Buck was arrested based on a warrant issued by the judge in Bennington.

In a second affidavit, Niles said he met with the woman for a follow-up interview Feb. 7.

Before that interview, Niles learned the woman had said she had been sexually assaulted by Buck in early November. Niles said he tried to set up a meeting with the woman and Detective Anthony Silvestro, of the Bennington Police Department, but Silvestro, who investigates sex-based crimes, told Niles the woman had said she was not ready to discuss the matter with him.

On Feb. 7, Niles asked the woman if she wanted to discuss the allegation. While Niles said the woman became “visibly upset,” she agreed to talk to him.

The woman told Niles that Buck had asked her if she wanted to have sex and she said no but that Buck forced her to have sex.

“I was crying and trying to push him off,” the woman told Niles.

Buck is to be held at the Rutland jail until at least Feb. 21, when a hearing on both dockets is scheduled in Bennington criminal court.

@Tagline:patrick.mcardle @rutlandherald.com