Man pleads not guilty to sex abuse

A Spokane man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that he molested two girls in 2006. Robert E. Brocklehurst, 32, faces one count of rape of a child in the first degree, child molestation in the first degree and second-degree child molestation. The charges stem from reports made by daughters of Brocklehurst’s former girlfriend. Both girls told police that Brocklehurst sexually assaulted them during the summer of 2006 but they didn’t come forward until after their mother ended her relationship with Brocklehurst. Superior Court Judge Ellen Kalama Clark set a trial date of May 17.