Claypool Man Faces Child Molesting ChargesAn 18-year-old Claypool man was arrested on child molesting charges after allegedly having sex with a girl under 14 on multiple occasions.
Justice Wayne Hughes, 18, of 1396 W. CR 800S, Claypool, was arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at 12:39 p.m. Thursday for illegal possession of alcohol by a minor and child molesting. His preliminary bond was set at $25,250.
Court documents filed Monday list the charges against Hughes as two counts of child molesting, level 3 felonies.
On Thursday, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department deputy Justin Smith responded to a call about an 18-year-old man with a girl under the age of 14.
Smith and KCSD deputy James Marshall arrived to the residence. Smith walked around the house to an open window. When Marshall knocked on the door, a man threw two shoes and a book bag out the window and jumped out of it. Smith detained the man and identified him with his wallet as Hughes. Also in Hughes’ wallet were two empty condom wrappers.
Smith asked Hughes about the book bag and Hughes said there were alcoholic beverages in the book bag, which Smith found. Smith arrested Hughes for illegal possession of alcohol.
Marshall knocked on the door and a young girl came to the door with a towel wrapped around her. She was identified as the girl under 14 years old.
Smith spoke with Hughes, who admitted he met with the girl Thursday and she led him into the residence. They went to her room and had sex. He said he and she also had sex in July.
An Indiana Child Protective Services caseworker spoke with the girl who said that she and Hughes have had sex multiple times since January. She said the last time was Thursday when the police arrived at her residence.
