The alleged sexual assaults of which Elton Turner is accused took place some three years ago, according to court documents.

Turner, who has injected himself into the public spotlight in recent years as a vocal critic of county government, was arrested Tuesday and charged with two counts of second-degree rape and two counts of assault against a handicapped person. He was released from jail on $5,000 bond Wednesday after a bond reduction hearing.

The allegations are contained in statements made by his wife, Evelyn Turner, to support her civil complaint and motion for a domestic violence protective order against her husband. She claims that Turner admitted two sexual encounters with the handicapped victim he is accused of assaulting.

District Judge Scott Etheridge granted a protective order pending a May 5 hearing in Moore County District Court, according to the application.

Firearms and a permit for carrying a concealed handgun were seized and are being kept in the sheriff's custody while Turner is awaiting trial on the criminal charges and the domestic violence hearing next week. The hearing on the criminal charges is set for May 18.

The judge's order prohibits Turner from possessing, owning, receiving or purchasing a firearm for the effective period of the order, and his concealed handgun permit is suspended for the same period. Deputies from the Moore County Sheriff's Department accompanied Turner to his home Thursday so he could retrieve toiletries, tools and other personal property.

Contact John Chappell at 783-5841 or by e-mail at jchappell@thepilot.com.