The Tennessee man accused of kidnapping his 9-year-old niece, Carlie Trent, faced a judge on Monday.
Gary Simpson
Gary Simpson, 57, is charged with aggravated kidnapping and custodial interference.
He is not allowed to have any contact with Carlie or her immediate family.
In court, a preliminary hearing was set for May 23.
The judge also appointed a public defender to counsel Simpson because he claimed he doesn’t have any money to pay for an attorney. According to WJHL, Simpson told the judge that he has not worked in a long time, has a handicapped son and his only income comes from government assistance.
When asked if he understood the charges against him, Simpson told the judge that he did not understand why he is being charged with kidnapping.
Two search volunteers found Simpson and Carlie deep in the woods last week.
The discovery came more than a week after Simpson lied to sign the child out of school without her parents knowing, setting off an AMBER Alert.
Since his arrest, Simpson has been in solitary confinement at the Hawkins County Jail. His bond has been set at $1 million.
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