Docs: Hartford City man arrested after raping teen multiple times

HARTFORD CITY, Ind. -- A Hartford City man was arrested after an 18-year-old told police that they were raped by the man several years ago.




According to court documents, 42-year-old Eric Pence was taken into custody on July 25 and has been charged with:

• Two counts of rape, each a Level 3 felony





• One count of child exploitation, a Level 5 felony





• One count of sexual battery, a Level 6 felony

On July 25, a deputy with the Blackford County Sheriff's Office conducted an interview with an 18-year-old victim who alleged that Pence raped them and had done other sexual things to them, starting when they were 13 years old.








The victim claimed that the sexual acts occurred over the span of four years. The documents claim that Pence would demand the victim "perform certain acts on him." In one instance, the victim said that they tried to tell Pence no, which reportedly caused him to smack them on the back of the head.




At another point, Pence reportedly told the victim not to tell anyone "because he did not want to get in trouble." In an interview with Pence, he reportedly told law enforcement that he had been a "heavy drinker" and did not remember certain instances. But, he said he "didn't believe (the victim) to be a liar."




According to court documents, Pence's initial hearing is scheduled for Aug. 6 in Blackford County.





via: https://fox59.com/news/indycrime/docs-hartford-city-man-arrested-after-raping-teen-multiple-times/