COURTLAND—Jury trials are scheduled for a Franklin man charged with multiple counts of sexually abusing minors.

Steven Gabriel Montano, 31, of the 100 block of Bobwhite Lane, was in Southampton County Circuit Court on Thursday morning. Montano will back in court on Tuesday, Feb. 25 facing charges of abduction, indecent act with a child and object sexual penetration and attempted rape. He’ll return for another jury trial on Tuesday, April 15 for several counts of possessing child pornography.

In between, Montano is set for a pre-trial hearing for three counts of rape by force or threat and two counts of incest with a child ranging in age from 13 to 17 years. That will be on Thursday, Feb. 27.

Last year, Franklin police had been notified by social services about the sexual assault of a minor, according to spokesman Capt. Tim Whitt.

An investigation revealed that two juvenile females under the age of 17 reported that they were sexually assaulted by Montano. He’s the biological father of one of the girls and a guardian to the other. The sexual offenses are alleged to have taken place over several months while the inappropriate touching lasted for several years.

After continued investigation, detectives secured warrants for Montano and arrested him on April 16, for several offenses.

He was remanded to Western Tidewater Regional Jail with no bond.