Charges dismissed against Sioux Falls man accused of raping 3-year-old, court records show
Update as of Nov. 27, 2023: Charges of rape and sexual contact with a child younger than 13 have been dropped as of September against Carter Michael Ronke, county court records show.
Earlier story: A Sioux Falls daycare worker is accused of raping a 3-year-old girl and is facing a first-degree rape charge and sexual contact with a child.
Carter Michael Ronke, 18, is behind bars in the Minnehaha County Jail and is being held on $100,000 bond, according to online court records.
In court documents, the Sioux Falls Police Department responded to an area hospital emergency room early Friday morning after the victim's mother noticed bleeding after her child used the restroom. A doctor observed "obvious trauma," according to court documents.
Asked what happened, the 3-year-old girl said it "hurt really bad,' and that '... Carter did it," and said they were "... playing a game" during nap time at the daycare center in the 3700 block and South Westport Avenue near The Empire Mall, according to an affidavit.
Ronke, who worked there, was sent home from the daycare center and was interviewed by law enforcement according to court documents. In that interview, Ronke said he was not allowed to change children.
Asked by investigators if the man's semen would be anywhere near the victim, he responded, "No, shouldn't be, not even close." According to court documents, he then sent detectives a message later that day and said, "I have a question regarding the situation, so if you had semen on your hands but you washed your hands, and it was 40 mins later, but they grabbed your hands then touched themselves, could the semen be found in that area?"
In an interview with detectives, the victim described Ronke as a "kid grown up." The child alleged Ronke digitally penetrated her in her classroom while she was playing with toys, according to court documents. The victim said it happened one day and not more than one day.
A child protection services worker told detectives at the end of an interview with the victim, the child drew a picture and said it was a girl walking or running away "from a scary, scary guy," according to court documents.
Ronke was arrested Friday afternoon. Ronke appeared to have no criminal history. Officials with the daycare center did not respond to requests for comment.
More news: Former day care provider sentenced to 10 days on neglect charges
If you need help:
If you need to report a sexual assault or need support after sexual assault, help is available.
Contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline to connect with someone who can put you in touch with support services. The number: 800-656-HOPE (4673).
You can also reach out to the South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault.
If it's an emergency, call 911.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Charges dismissed against Sioux Falls man accused of raping 3-year-old
