FOUNTAINTOWN – A Fountaintown man faces five felony charges after a girl told police he gave her alcohol, then held her down and touched her inappropriately, according to charging documents.
Paul Price, 31, was arrested Saturday and charged with sexual misconduct, sexual battery and confinement, all felonies, after the victim reported to police he sexually assaulted her on at least three separate occasions.
The victim reported the abuse in February, telling an Indiana Department of Child Services caseworker and local police the abuse started last summer when she stayed at Price’s Fountaintown home, charging documents state.
She told police Price offered her alcohol before each incident. Once, Price gave her about six shots of vodka and orange juice before she fell asleep watching a movie; when she woke up, they were both naked lying on the couch, the victim told police.
She told investigators she “was shocked and scared,” that she “didn’t understand what was happened and she felt like she was paralyzed,” reports state.
The next morning, Price asked if she consented to what happened — she said she agreed, not knowing what consent meant — and then “made her pinky promise” she wouldn’t tell anyone, court records state.
Earlier this year, the girl spent the night at Price’s home, where he offered her alcohol again; then, he took her to his bedroom, held her down on the bed and tried kissing and fondling her, charging documents state.
After that incident, Price told the victim if she told someone what had happened, he would “own up to what he did, but he would prefer” she not tell anyone, according to charging documents.
The victim told police she started having emotional troubles soon after and decided to tell her mom what had happened.
After the victim reported the abuse to police, officers contacted Price, who agreed to talk to them. He never showed up to the appointment and stopped taking their phone calls, court documents state.
Price faces two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, a Level 4 felony; one count of sexual misconduct with a minor as a Level 5 felony; criminal confinement, a Level 6 felony and sexual battery, a Level 6 felony.
At press time, he was being held in the Hancock County Jail on a $40,000 bond.
