The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A Crawfordsville, Indiana man is facing charges after two separate incidents were reported from two teenage girls who have accused him of sexually assaulting them.
In early February a 16-year-old girl confided in her father and shared information with him about how she was the alleged victim of a sexual assault that took place over the summertime in 2015.
The young woman explained to her dad that she and her sister accompanied the accused and one of his friends on a visit to his home so they could all watch a movie together. She said that while viewing the film she had been sexually assaulted by the man that she identified as Zachary W. Grater, who is now 22-years-old. She explained that she didn’t feel comfortable coming forward about the occurrence sooner because she was afraid that had they become aware, she would have suffered from her school peers treating her badly.
The teenager’s father notified the authorities on February 5 to inform them that his daughter had told him her account of what had happened with Grater, and shortly following her divulgence she ran away from home.
Nearly three weeks later on February 23 a 17-year-old girl visited the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and spoke to police about an experience that she allegedly had with Grater in 2013. The teenager reported that she had gotten to know Grater by chatting with him for nearly a month on Facebook. She stated that when he visited her at her home she was the victim of a sexual assault by him.
Arrest warrants were issued and Grater was taken into custody around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. He is facing charges of child molestation and sexual misconduct with a minor, both felonies.
Grater was released the following day after posting $20,000 bond.
Due to the fact that the purported victims are minors their identities have not been disclosed.
If you or someone you love is suspected of child molestation, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.