Docs: Man exposed himself to 11-year-old at church on Indy's near east side

INDIANAPOLIS -- Police have arrested an Indy man accused of exposing himself to an 11-year-old inside a church on the city's near east side.




According to court documents, 71-year-old Carlos Bowen faces the following preliminary charges:

• Child Solicitation (Level 5 Felony)





• Child Molesting (Level 4 Felony)





• Criminal Confinement (Level 5 Felony)





• Intimidation (Class A Misdemeanor)

Law enforcement initially became aware of Bowen on May 18, when an officer with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department was called to investigate a child solicitation case.




In the report, court documents show that Bowen allegedly exposed his genitals to an 11-year-old girl inside a public restroom at St. Phillip Neri Catholic Church on N. Rural Street.




Bowen is accused of asking the victim if she wanted to touch his genitals, according to court documents. As part of their investigation, detectives spoke with the victim's mother, who corroborated the details outlined in the initial report.




The woman said her daughter had not been feeling well during a church service, so she went to the restroom to grab a tissue. While she was in the bathroom, Bowen allegedly exited one of the bathroom stalls with "his pants down and his genitals exposed," court documents said.




The man allegedly grabbed the victim and hugged her while his private parts were exposed despite the victim asking him to stop, court documents said. The woman stated that Bowen allegedly pressed his exposed body against her daughter while telling her how "pretty" she was and asking if she would like to touch him.




Bowen reportedly backed away after the girl began to cry, and she managed to exit the bathroom. The victim later told police that Bowen allegedly threatened to hurt her if she told anyone what had happened.




Court documents said the victim's mother told detectives she had seen Bowen at the church before. After her daughter disclosed what had allegedly happened, the woman said she went to her vehicle and immediately called for police to arrive.




During an interview with police, Bowen reportedly denied all of the allegations while stating that he was alone in the bathroom. Police subsequently placed Bowen under arrest.




Online court records indicate that Bowen is scheduled to appear in Marion Superior Court 21 for a jury trial on July 28 at 8:30 a.m.





via: https://fox59.com/news/indycrime/docs-man-exposed-himself-to-11-year-old-at-church-on-indys-near-east-side/