CROMWELL - A Cromwell man was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly molested a 12-year-old girl.
Thomas Eugene Patches, 54, of 100 Park St., Cromwell, was arrested Wednesday around 5 p.m. and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail for felony child molesting. His bond was set at $100,000.
Sunday, the Noble County Sheriff's Department contacted Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department about an alleged incident involving a 54-year-old man and a 12-year-old girl.
After allegedly communicating through several cellular text messages, the man and the girl met at the Cromwell Park. Eventually, during an interview, the girl reportedly told police she and the man engaged in sexual intercourse in a camper trailer on CR 1050N, on the east side of Lake Wawasee. Kosciusko County deputies found the camper trailer where the girl described it to to be.
The girl was taken to the Fort Wayne Sexual Assault Center where a medical assault kit was performed and DNA evidence was collected for analysis.
Kosciusko County Sheriff's Dept. detectives were later advised that sexual intercourse had occurred and validated Patches's DNA sample.
The incident remains under investigation a this time.
