HANCOCK COUNTY — A New Palestine man wanted on rape charges was jailed early Monday morning.
Patrick L. Thompson, 39, 5000 block of West Stonehaven Lane, New Palestine, turned himself in at the Hancock County Jail around 3:30 a.m. Authorities had been seeking his arrest since Thursday, March 3, when charges were filed and the case was opened in Hancock County Superior Court 1.
Thompson faces 13 charges — including multiple felony counts of rape and sexual misconduct — stemming from an incident in January at his home in New Palestine involving alcohol and a girl under the age of 16.
Thompson made his initial appearance Monday morning in Superior Court 1 via video in front of Judge D.J. Davis. Chief deputy prosecutor Aimee Herring had asked the court to set a $25,000 cash bond, while the defense council, John Razumich, asked that bond be set at $2,500 to $3,000. Davis set bond at $15,000 cash; put a no-contact order in place for the girl; and set a pretrial conference for mid-May.
Thompson was still listed as an inmate in the jail at the Daily Reporter’s deadline Monday.
According to a probable cause affidavit, on Jan. 2, officers from the New Palestine Police Department were asked to investigate a report of sexual assault that had occurred in the early-morning hours that day at a home on West Stonehaven Lane in New Palestine.
The report states a girl who was under 16 years old had gone with a male friend to the residence, where Thompson supplied them with numerous drinks of alcohol. Thompson is accused of sexually assaulting the girl first on a couch and then in a bedroom. Thompson is also accused of choking and slapping the girl.
The girl and her friend eventually were able to escape the house through a window in another bedroom, the affidavit said.
During questioning, Thompson admitted supplying the two minors with alcohol, but he told investigators he could not remember anything else that might have happened because he was intoxicated, the affidavit said.
Thompson has been charged with five Level 3 felony counts of rape; five Level 4 felony counts of sexual misconduct with a minor; a Class A misdemeanor charge of battery; and two Class B misdemeanor charges of furnishing alcohol to a minor. The most serious charges against Thompson are punishable by up to 16 years in prison.
