“He is in the ICU at a local hospital,” attorney Ryan Nelson said outside the courtroom following the hearing.
Currie is facing 49 counts of illegal use of a minor in a nudity-oriented material or performance, 40 counts of voyeurism and two counts of unauthorized use of a computer, cable or telecommunication property, following his Jan. 6 indictment by a county grand jury.
Credit: Montgomery County Jail
Credit: Montgomery County Jail
Although Nelson said he was not notified his client was moved and only found out after he tried to visit him last week at the jail, “at the very least, he is in very good care.”
Because of his client’s diagnosis with a rare, terminal neurological condition, Nelson questions whether he will be able to stand trial.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
“The accusations are very serious,” Nelson said. “If they had indicted him two years ago, they would have indicted somebody they could prosecute because he’d talk, he’d walk. But he’s got a progressive disease … and I don’t know what we’re doing here.”
In a motion filed ahead of Wednesday’s hearing seeking a competency evaluation, Nelson wrote that Currie is in the advanced stage of progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain condition known as PSP that is an “atypical parkinsonian” disorder usually misdiagnosed initially as Parkinson’s disease that affects movement, walking, balance, eye function, speech and thought. Most patients require assisted care within three to four years, and the disorder typically ends in death in six to nine years. In Currie’s case, he was diagnosed in 2020, the document states.
“As a result of his condition, at present time defendant is unable to communicate effectively with counsel by relating or exchanging thoughts, ideas, history or choices that he would make in the preparation of his defense or engagement in plea negotiations. ... At present time, counsel is at a loss to explain how he can possibly defend or represent his client’s interests when his client is unable to effectively speak and when he cannot write,” Nelson wrote.
The investigation into Currie began in October 2024 after one of his family members found what appeared to be voyeuristic photos and videos on his cellphone and reported it to the Oakwood Public Safety Department, which obtained a search warrant for his electronic devices, Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. said when announcing the 91-count indictment.
“The search revealed that the defendant stalked a 17-year-old Oakwood High School student. The defendant went to her residence on numerous occasions and surreptitiously photographed and videotaped her in her bedroom through her windows, including in various states of nudity, obviously, all without her knowledge,” Heck said.
When the teen left for college, Currie reportedly continued to return to photograph and record women in various states of undress, including a family member of the teen and a neighbor, Heck said.
Nelson unsuccessfully sought to have the conditions of Currie’s bail modified so that he could return to an assisted living facility near his family in Birmingham, Michigan.
The next hearing for Currie is March 18. It is unclear whether he would be able to appear.
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