A Fort Wayne man was arrested after allegedly inappropriately touching a minor  after the minor visited him at an area campground.
Jack Easterday, 80, Fort Wayne, is charged with rape, a level 3 felony; and sexual misconduct with a minor, a level 5 felony.
He was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at 10:47 a.m. Monday on a $50,250 preliminary bond.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services advised a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office detective about an alleged child molestation that took place at the campground. On Aug. 10, the victim - at least 15 years old but less than 16 - reported to the Ohio Department of Job and family services they visited Easterday at the campground. Easterday allegedly touched the victim inappropriately and this occurred approximately one year prior.
On Aug. 21, the victim was forensically interviewed at the Cincinnati Children’s Advocacy Center. The victim said about one year prior, their family visited Easterday at the campground. The victim was put to bed and Easterday came in and put his hands down their pants.
The victim told Easterday to stop and he would not, according to court documents. Easterday told the victim he did it because his wife would not let him touch her. Easterday made sexual comments to the victim, according to court documents.
On Dec. 5, Easterday was interviewed at the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office. Easterday denied touching the victim in any sexual way. Easterday indicated the victim was a troublemaker. It was hit or miss if Easterday got along with the victim and Easterday was previously accused of touching the victim, according to court documents.
Easterday agreed to take a polygraph interview to prove his innocence.
On Jan. 2, an Indiana State Police trooper conducted the pre-polygraph interview and Easterday confessed in September 2022 he touched the victim and he knew it was wrong. Easterday thought he would put a stop to the victim’s behavior. He also admitted he touched the victim during a different incident, according to court documents.
Easterday said he did not remember saying anything to the victim about them having sex, but he could have said it, according to court documents.