HUTCHINSON — Following a Reno County judge’s decision to suppress the confession by the suspect in a child sex case, the state filed an appeal and made arguments in the case on Wednesday.

Brandon Cousins, 21, Hutchinson, is charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy and three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

The crimes involved a 6-year-old girl and allegedly occurred in 2012 and are off-grid felonies that could see him get life sentences on each count with no chance of parole for 25 years.

The defense was granted a suppression of the defendant’s statements to police.

The district judge agreed with the defense contention that the defendant’s statements to law enforcement were not given voluntarily. The Kansas Court of Appeals must now decide if the statements will be allowed at trial.