GREENFIELD — A Wilkinson man has been charged with two Level 4 felonies — one count of child molest for each child prosecutors say he abused.
Ryan M. Dudley, 31, 237 Station St., performed sex acts on two children under the age of 14, reports state — a crime that carries a penalty range of two to 12 years and up to $10,000 in fines for each charge.
The parents of the two victims contacted police last week after they became suspicious one of their children had been abused.
The mother and her children were eating dinner one night “when an advertisement that had the word, sex, in it came on TV,” court records state; one of the children became so upset that she left the table and went to her room, reports state.
The girl’s mother followed her to her room, where the little girl described being sexually assaulted by Dudley, records state.
Investigators set up interviews to speak with the little girl as well as her sister; the following day, an Indiana Department of Child Services child forensic interviewer, who specializes in dealing with young victims of sexual assault, met with both children, reports state.
The girls were reserved during the interview process, but both — in separate interviews — said Dudley abused them, police records state.
One of the girls described the abuse in detail to the interview and a doctor who later examined her; she told the interviewer the abuse had been ongoing and that Dudley “told her not to tell anybody, but she had told her mommy,” charging documents state.
Sometimes, when she tried to get away, Dudley “would hold her leg,” she told police.
Charges were filed against Dudley in Hancock Circuit Court; he is expected to appear this week for an initial hearing.
