Wanda English Burnett
Editor

Richard Jarrett, 32, of Milan, has been formally charged in Ripley County Circuit Court with two counts of Child Molesting, both Class A Felonies. The initial hearing was held June 23.

Prosecutor Ric Hertel filed the charges after receiving information from Detective Glen Potts with the Indiana State Police.

According to information from the Affidavit for Probable Cause, Jarrett, is accused of molesting a female victim under the age of 14. The alleged crimes took place back in October of 2009.

Court records show that Jarrett denied ever touching the victim in a sexual manner when he was first confronted by police. However, later he did admit to having sexual contact with the victim knowing he was being audio taped by police.

He told police about two years ago he had gone into the child’s room and asked to see her breasts, but nothing physically happened at that time.

Jarrett explained another time when he did have contact with the victim, sexually assaulting her.
On another occasion, Jarrett said he bought a pint of tequila, which the victim says he gave her some shots of at home. Later that evening, Jarrett admitted to sexual deviate behavior with the victim who was just 13-years-old at the time.

The victim told police that Jarrett had asked her if she remembered what happened that time when she woke up. When she told him, “no” she said he responded, “nice.”

The charges read that the alleged incidents took place “On or between July 1, 2009 and October 6, 2009.”
Trial by jury has been set to begin November 30. Bond was set at $50,000.

Jarrett could face up to 50 years in prison if convicted of the alleged crimes.