A former Belleville tattoo artist has agreed to some of the charges against him.
Forty-seven-year-old Kenneth Wayne Melvin appeared at the Quinte Consolidated Courthouse on Friday afternoon as the preliminary hearing continued.
He is currently facing 34 charges, 10 of which have been agreed to including unlawful confinement, sexual interference, two counts of committing an indecent act and multiple sexual assault charges.
There are still 24 charges in dispute.
Defense lawyer Mike Pretsell argued against the child pornography charges as well as the criminal harassment charges.
Assistant Crown Attorney Lynn Ross also attempted to introduce a new charge of sexual interference based on the age of one of the complainants.
Judge Stephen Hunter said he was dealing strictly with the charges in front of him today; prompting Ross to attempt to get it added to the indictment.
The charges stem from 16 complainants, down from 18 when the criminal proceedings first began back in April 2017.
A judicial pretrial has been set for June 20.
Evidence at a preliminary hearing cannot be published. Such hearings are held to determine if there is enough evidence to proceed to a criminal trial or not.
Melvin had operated Skin Graphix Tattooing and Piercing on Dundas Street East for a number of years in the city’s east end. The shop has since closed.
