NORWICH – The Chenango County Grand Jury met Wednesday and handed up several criminal indictments. At the proceedings, the District Attorney’s Office presents evidence against those they wish to prosecute and the jury decides if there is enough reasonable cause to charge a person. This was the first time this new grand jury had met. Jurors serve at roughly three month intervals and this was the beginning of a new cycle.

Yesterday, the grand jury indicted four individuals with sex crimes and two others over drug-related offenses.

• Frank T. Allen, 66, South New Berlin, was indicted for two counts of first degree sexual abuse (D felony) and endangering the welfare of a child. Allegedly on Oct. 16, along lake Street Drive in the Town of New Berlin, Allen sexually molested a girl under the age of 11.

• Lester Dvonne Elkins, 47, Clinton, N.C., was charged with first degree criminal sexual act (B felony), first degree rape (B felony) and incest (E felony). Police reported that the crime allegedly took place in the early hours of Dec. 27. Police investigators said the woman was in a room at the Super 8 Motel in the Town of Norwich when the attack occurred. Elkins as arraigned in Norwich Town Court and remanded to the Chenango County Jail in lieu of $500,000 cash bail.