Accused New Castle child molester caught with victim while out on bond

NEW CASTLE, Ind. - Court documents reveal that an accused child molester, who was out on bond awaiting his trial, was caught in a garage with the underage victim he's previously accused of molesting.




Charles South Jr., 58, of New Castle, was charged on Friday with sexual misconduct with a minor, a Level 4 felony. South still faces two charges of child molestation, a Level 1 felony, stemming from his arrest last summer.

Previous stories detail how South was arrested in June 2024 after being accused of molesting a 13-year-old. Court records show South bonded out of jail in November after posting an $8,000 cash bond.




On March 17, New Castle police were called to a garage on South's property. Court documents detail how the victim in South's ongoing molestation case was believed to be inside the garage with the accused molester. A protective order forbids South from being near the teenager.




New Castle police officers claim South originally lied when he opened the garage door and told inquiring officers that no one else was in the garage with him. But police ended up finding the victim inside the garage.




Both South and the victim's phones were seized by police. Court documents reveal that despite data deleted from the phones, Verizon phone records show that several calls had been made between South and the victim- some lasting more than an hour.




DNA swabs collected from the scene also ended up linking South to further sexual crimes against the victim.




After this latest DNA evidence was received from state police labs, officials charges were filed against South.




At an initial hearing held on Tuesday, a judge set South's bond at $75,000 surety plus $4,000 cash.




South's previous child molestation case is scheduled to go to jury trial on Aug. 4. If convicted of child molesting as a Level 1 felony, South could face 40 years in prison.





via: https://fox59.com/news/indycrime/accused-new-castle-child-molester-caught-with-victim-while-out-on-bond/