Hartford City man charged with sexual misconduct with minor
HARTFORD CITY, Ind. — A Hartford City man faces two felony counts over his alleged sexual activity with a juvenile.
Dalton P. Leach, 25, was charged Tuesday in Blackford Circuit Court with two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, a Level 4 felony carrying up to 12 years in prison.
According to court documents, Leach twice had sex with a 13-year-old girl, in June and July.
Hartford City police and the state Department of Child Services were involved in the investigation.
An initial hearing in the case is set for Dec. 12.
Leach already faced a total of seven charges in two cases pending against him in Blackford Superior Court — battery by bodily waste, battery against a public safety official, criminal recklessness, disorderly conduct, leaving the scene of an accident, possession of marijuana and resisting law enforcement.
Court records reflect the Hartford City man has no prior felony convictions.
In other court news:
Sentencing hearing: A sentencing hearing for a Randolph County man convicted of five counts of sexual misconduct with a minor has been scheduled for Jan. 23.
After a bench trial conducted in October, Randolph Circuit Court Judge Jay Toney found 54-year-old Charles Wesley Tharp of Union City guilty of five Level 4 felonies.
Tharp had been accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a juvenile in 2021 and 2022.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Hartford City man charged with sexual misconduct with juvenile
