BEDFORD – Lawrence Superior Court I Judge John M. Plummer III sentenced a Missouri man to 18 years in the Indiana Department of Correction.
Gary Jones, 72, pled guilty to two counts of child molesting, level 3 felony charges, as part of a negotiated plea agreement with the State of Indiana.
“This office takes every allegation of child sexual abuse seriously,” Chief Deputy Prosecutor Joshua K. Scherschel said. “These convictions stem from allegations from 2016, and the victims in these cases finally have the justice they deserve.”
The investigation by Detective Deel began in February 2022 when he was made aware of allegations made by a 13-year-old victim.
Jones was arrested in March 2022 on one count of child molestation, but in April 2022, more charges were added after an investigation by Indiana State Police Bloomington District Detective Allen Deel.
In total, Jones was facing 11 counts of child molesting, a Level 1 felony, three counts of child molesting, a Level 4 felony, three counts of rape, a Level 3 felony, and three counts of strangulation, a Level 6 felony.
Detective Deel was assisted by Trooper Ben Burris and representatives from the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office and the Indiana Department of Child Services.
