According to the detective, the underage girl disclosed that a man began touching her inappropriately when she was around 11 years old.  [To read about the specific things that the girl reported he did to her, you may click below on the Affidavit for Warrant for Arrest.  Caution:  this document contains graphic details.]

As the assigned deputy prosecutor, I filed numerous charges.  But as part of a plea agreement, all charges were dismissed except for one of the most serious – child molesting as a Class A felony.  The defendant pled guilty to that charge.  In other words, he admitted that he did it. 

The plea agreement spared the victim the trauma of testifying at trial and still gave me the chance to argue for up to 30 years in prison. 

Judge Nathan Verkamp sentenced the defendant to 25 years – but Judge Verkamp allowed the defendant to serve that entire sentence in Dubois County Community Corrections, starting off in work release (meaning that the defendant would be allowed to come and go for work, appointments, day passes, church, etc.). 

Judge Verkamp also gave the defendant the opportunity to transition from placement in work release to placement on home detention (meaning that the defendant would live at home wearing an ankle monitor, coming and going from his residence whenever he was approved to do so).

[I would encourage you to click below on Sentencing Order to read the factors Judge Verkamp used in choosing this sentence.  When the order refers to “The Court,” that means Judge Verkamp.]

Judge Verkamp did not require the defendant to spend one day in prison.  According to the Dubois County Sheriff’s Office website, at the time that Judge Verkamp placed the child molester into community corrections, he had spent a total of 1 hour and 59 minutes in jail. 

The girl disclosed that the abuse lasted approximately 6 years. 

If you believe that Dubois County voters would be helped by learning about the sentence that Judge Verkamp gave in this case, feel free to forward this post. 

POSTSCRIPT:  This defendant was eventually sent to prison.  But that process was only set in motion after I filed something called a “Motion to Correct Erroneous Sentence.” 

Our legislature decided that Murder was the only crime more serious than Class A felony child molesting.  Under Indiana law, this defendant had to be sentenced to prison – for at least 20 years.  In other words, the sentence that Judge Verkamp chose to give this child molester was not legal. 

If I am elected judge, I will hold accountable, within the confines of the law, those who prey on children.  That is a promise.