Man accused of sexual battery

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GREENFIELD — A Hancock County businessman faces allegations of sexual battery dating back nearly 10 years, reported to police recently by a woman who says the man repeatedly touched and spoke to her inappropriately when she was a teenager.

Elden Dejarnett Jr., 52, 254 W. Fourth St., Greenfield, faces three felony counts, including sexual battery. He was arrested Friday, and he has since been released from jail after pleading not guilty to the charges, records show.

A woman came to the Greenfield Police Department in February, telling detectives that she baby-sat for Dejarnett — who runs a staff-recruiting office in Greenfield — for two summers when she was a teenager.

During that time, he made inappropriate advances toward her, sent her graphic text messages and touched her on several occasions, despite her repeatedly telling him to leave her alone, she told police, according to court documents.

The woman told investigators the behavior began with Dejarnett purposefully bumping into her and grabbing her as he did so, court documents state. Dejarnett’s actions gradually progressed until, on one incident, he pushed her onto a couch at his home and climbed onto of her, covering her mouth and threatening to kill her if she ever said anything about what had happened, the woman said, according to court documents.

Dejarnett had a hot tub at his home; and once, after she’d been in the water with his children, Dejarnett had untied her swimsuit top, exposing her, the woman said, according to court documents.

She was 15 years old at the time, she said. No one else was around, and Dejarnett said “he was just kidding around,” court document state.

Sometimes, he’d offer to pay her more money to spend the night, begging her to stay and sleep in his bed, court document state.

Dejarnett also sent her lewd text messages, including ones in which he stated he “missed her sexy body,” and wanted to have sex with her, court documents state.

The woman said that on the day he got physical with her and threatened her, Dejarnett left her alone only because she started to cry, court document state. She was scared to tell anyone what happened because he threatened to “hurt her and her family really badly, and that no one would believe her because he is well-known in Greenfield,” court documents state.

Dejarnett faces three criminal charges: one Class D felony count of sexual battery; one Class D felony count of criminal confinement; and one Class D felony count of intimidation, court records state.

Each count carries a maximum 3-year potential sentence, records show.

Dejarnett was released from the Hancock County Jail Friday afternoon after posting a $1,000 cash bond, court records show. He’s expected back in court May 3, and the case is tentatively set for trial Aug. 21.

Calls to Dejarnett’s business, DNA Consulting, were not returned at press time; relatives of the man denied the allegations against him in an email to the Daily Reporter.