A teenager accused of raping a toddler will be transferred to adult criminal court. A judge made the decision after 15-year-old James Prindle appeared in juvenile court Thursday morning, charged with the rape of his half-sister in August.

“I am devastated that my 15-year-old son is being transported to 201 Poplar to be tried as an adult, but I want justice for my daughter,” said Monica Sanders, mother of the toddler and the accused.

Prindle faced several charges, including aggravated rape of a child, facilitation of a felony, and false reporting to authorities. Bond was set at $150,000.

“My client had maintained all along that surely something bad had happened, but he was not the party that committed it,” said Prindle’s attorney, James Sanders.

Police arrested two other young people for the crime, and charged them with aggravated child rape too: 11-year-old Micah Scheulin, and his 13-year-old brother Noah. Police say the crime happened at a Cordova apartment complex, and initially all three accused told police that masked men broke into the apartment. But investigators said their stories kept changing, and didn’t add up.

In court Thursday, a judge dismissed the rape charges against Micah, citing a lack of evidence.

“There has to be some direct evidence that he was involved, and I simply cannot find it,” Juvenile Court Chief Magistrate Herbert Lane said.

Monica Sanders said her daughter spent a week in the hospital, but is slowly healing. She hasn’t been in touch with her son.

“I have moments that are private moments where I just cry a lot,” she said. “I have to keep going; I still have a daughter to take care of.”

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