GRANT COUNTY – Detectives from the Indiana State Police Peru District initiated a criminal investigation after receiving information that a child under the age of 14 had been sexually abused by a Marion man.
The investigation revealed that Leland J. Smith Sr., 72, of Marion, IN, allegedly sexually abused the child in Grant County. Smith Sr. was taken into custody and remanded to the Grant County Jail on charges of child molesting, a Level 1 felony, and child molesting, a Level 4 felony.
Those facing criminal charges are considered innocent until proven guilty through a fair and due legal process. Accusations alone do not imply guilt; the judicial system will evaluate the presented evidence to reach a verdict.
