GREENFIELD — A video of a Greenfield man allegedly engaging in a sexual act with an underage girl has landed the man in jail, facing a felony charge.
But the defendant and the assumed victim both deny ever having an inappropriate relationship. They maintained their denial even after police came to the man’s home and found him sharing a bed with the girl, according to court documents.
Tyler Parham-Wise, 24, 233 Howard St., Greenfield, faces a charge of sexual misconduct with a minor.
He appeared in court Tuesday afternoon and pleaded not guilty to the allegation. He remained in the Hancock County Jail on a $3,000 cash bond at press time, records show.
Police began investigating Parham-Wise in May when the girl’s mother reported finding an inappropriate video on her iPad, which showed her underage daughter engaging in a sex act with Parham-Wise, according to court documents.
The video showed Parham-Wise’s face but not the girl’s, court documents state. But the girl’s parents told police they were sure it was their daughter in the video.
The girl in the recording had a mole on her midriff, in the same spot as a mole their daughter has, court documents state. They were also able to show police photos of their daughter taken the same day the video was; the images showed their daughter wearing the same shade of nail polish as the girl in the video, court documents state.
The girl’s parents turned their daughter’s cellphone over to police. On the device, investigators found text messages and social media posts that suggested the girl and Parham-Wise were in a relationship, according to court documents.
The girl called Parham-Wise “lover” and referenced them dating, records show.
“I’ll choose you over any woman out there,” Parham-Wise wrote in one note to the girl, records show.
But when the girl was questioned by investigators, she “was very defiant.” She told police she knows Parham-Wise, but said they were only friends. She denied having an inappropriate relationship with the man and said she wasn’t the girl in the video, court documents state.
When police visited Parham-Wise’s home as part of their investigation, they found Parham-Wise lying in bed with the girl.
Parham-Wise, too, denied having a sexual relationship with the girl. He said he couldn’t remember the name of the female shown in the video, court documents state.
Charges were filed against Parham-Wise on Monday and he was arrested early Tuesday. He made his first appearance in court Tuesday afternoon.
Parham-Wise faces one Level 5 felony count of sexual misconduct with a minor. The charge carries a maximum penalty of six years in prison.