GREENFIELD — A New Palestine man faces a new charge of child molesting after a second victim accused him of fondling her, court records state.
Ryan White, 31, 6940 W. County Road 200S, was arrested late last week on a new charge of child molesting, a Level 4 felony.
White was charged last year with the same crime after a young girl told police he fondled her while she was at a slumber party at his home, charging documents state. He’s expected to appear in court this week in that case, court records show.
In the new case, a young girl accused the Hancock County man of touching her inappropriately when she slept over at his home last summer, according to court records.
The victim told police she was spending the night in White’s daughter’s room when he got in bed with her, charging documents state.
She had been asleep a while when he began touching her, she told police. She jerked and turned away from him, according to documents. She left the bedroom, panicking and soon after, White left the room.
He also offered to take the girl shopping for a bra because he told her he “noticed she didn’t have any,” the girl’s guardians told police, court records state.
The girl told police she knows White’s other victim and knew she had disclosed to police what happened to her. She said she waited to tell anyone because she was confused and scared about what happened, charging documents state.
Last month, she confided in a friend because she “was stressed out” about it, documents state. She eventually went to police and was interviewed by police and a department of child services case manager.
Prosecutors filed a single criminal count of child molesting against White. He appeared in court last week and pleaded not guilty. Nicole A. Zelin of Greenfield has been appointed to represent White in both cases.
White, who was released from the jail following his initial hearing on a $5,000 bond, has been ordered to have no contact with the victim.
He’s expected to appear in court again in May, and a trial has been slated for August.
If convicted of the charge, a judge could sentence White to serve two to 12 years in prison, records show. He faces up to $10,000 in fines.
